Andrea Pirlo's son racks up €30k debt in illegal betting scandal which forced legendary Italian midfielder to 'block' bank account until teenager became lawful adult

The ex-Juventus and AC Milan playmaker was able to shut his son Nicolo's account as his legal guardian. Just 17 at the time, he would be unable to open another account until he turned 18. It is believed the young man had become embroiled in the same illicit gambling schemes as Sandro Tonali. The Newcastle midfielder served a 10-month ban for his indiscretions from October 2023 to August 2024.

A report by Corriere della Sera, suggests that Fiorentina midfielder Nicolo Fagioli, who was also banned for his involvement in the scheme, had informed suspected ringleader Pietro Marinoni about the issue between Pirlo and his son. The Serie D referee is accused of organising and recruiting footballers to take part in illegal gambling activities. Marinoni was suspended by Association of Italian Referees, after Milan's public prosecutor opened a case against 12 current and former Serie A players.

In a WhatsApp chat dated June 7th, 2022, Fagioli described Pirlo's son as "one of us" to Marinoni, but then also added:

"He went into debit recovery, but his father found out and blocked his bank account until he’s 18. Having a €30,000 debt at 17 is something else."

Tonali told calciomercato in 2023 about Marinoni's role in recruiting him into the illegal activities. He said: "The person who initiated me to gambling is Pietro Marinoni, who comes from the same city as me and went to school with my sister. He was a referee.

"I was never threatened, but I was offered to pay off the debt in installments. I reached a debt of €500,000 with them. Their objective was to make me continue to gamble, but they never pushed for any payment."