Anthony Onifade

Sat 28 October 2023 14:10, UK

Aston Villa star Nicolo Zaniolo has reiterated his innocence that he did not bet on any football games which leaves Unai Emery in an anxious wait at Villa Park.

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, taking to his personal Twitter account (27 October) reported that the Galatasaray loanee has clarified his position that he only played poker and blackjack on illegal platforms after being alleged of breaching betting rules.

The 24-year-old visited the Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office on Friday (27 October) and has been accused of placing bets on these unregulated platforms and is one of the key figures in the recent Serie A betting scandal.

The other two central players – Juventus’ Nicolo Fagioli and Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali – both admitted to placing bets on football matches and received lengthy bans, with Tonali receiving a 10-month sanction.

Zaniolo, on the other, denied ever gambling on football, instead claiming that he only played card games on the platforms.

Romano wrote on Friday: “Nicolò Zaniolo answered to all the questions from Turin’s Prosecutor — he clarified his position.

“Zaniolo admitted that he used to bet on illegal platforms — but poker, blackjack and not football games.

“We are confident to clarify this story soon”, his lawyers said.

It’s safe to say that Zaniolo hasn’t particularly backed up the fan’s excitement regarding his move from Galatasaray in Turkey and this recent situation may well leave his future in the West Midlands in doubt.

However, as things stand, he has been training with the team at Bodymoor Heath and is available for selection in the coming games with no definitive verdict set yet. But, it does leave Emery in a state of flux at Villa Park.

The 24-year-old has endured a rather difficult spell since his summer loan move, only showing flashes of his brilliance despite being handed regular starts by Unai Emery.

One of his most disappointing showings at Villa came in the 3-1 win over Crystal Palace on 16 September where he won just four of his 12 total duels, barely touched the ball with just 37 touches to his name and 14/18 out of successful passes, completed just one of his four dribbles at a 25% success rate while also losing possession of the ball 15 times [SofaScore].

Against Brighton on 30 September, it was a similar trend, barely on the ball for his team with 20 touches, completing just three of his passes and failing to complete any of his four dribbles, won one of his 13 ground duels at a dreadful rate of 7%, lost possession of the ball eleven times and registered zero key passes also giving away four fouls [SofaScore].

The Italian was later dropped for the 8 October Midlands derby showpiece against Wolves at the Molineux which ended in a 1-1 draw and it certainly pointed to his struggles so far in an Aston Villa shirt.

Zaniolo started Villa’s 4-1 win over West Ham United last Sunday (22 October) and again showed glimpses of his quality but arguably wasn’t enough to convince the Aston Villa support.

Given he only just signed on the dotted line at Villa Park a couple of months ago, Zaniolo still has a lot of acclimatising to do to get to grips with life in the West Midlands but this recent betting situation could certainly leave his future under Emery in serious doubt.

If the Italian is found guilty of what he’s claiming, it’s believed he will be only punished through a fine but that’s just speculation right now.

Both the Spaniard and the Aston Villa bosses are certainly left in a perilous position right now as to what to do with Zaniolo’s loan situation.

Should the worst happen and he gets banned like Tonali, they may well be forced to cut his loan short and seek clarification in January over a move for another forward.

For now, all of that is uncertain and Emery will be left with some crucial decisions in the coming games as to what to do with him, especially with the likes of Leon Bailey returning to brilliant form.

In other Aston Villa news, Louie Barry could be fighting for his future at Villa Park as his latest deal may be terminated early.