Aston Villa & Italy star Nicolo Zaniolo facing more serious betting charges for allegedly organising illegal gambling ring

The Aston Villa midfielder along with compatriots Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Fagiolo were interrogated by the police for allegedly breaching betting regulations.

According to La Repubblica, Zaniolo and Tonali have insisted that they placed their bets only on blackjack and poker and did not indulge in football betting.

On the other hand, it has been reported that Fagiolo has bet over a million Euros which could see him get banned for three years along with a fine of €25,000 (£21,680,$26,280).

However, according to ANSA, Zaniolo's offences are being reported to be more serious in nature than the other two and has been accused of violating Article 4 of law 401/98.

This means that the police suspect that he had been an active figure in organising and spreading betting illegally.

It must be noted that professional footballers are barred from betting on any sporting event.

Moreover, according to Dillinger News, Zaniolo allegedly also placed bets on a Coppa Italia fixture involving Roma "while he was on the bench".

However, it is touted that during the specific game, Zaniolo was injured and was not included in the matchday squad.

Zaniolo and Tonali have been released from the Italy national team camp amid the ongoing investigation and will not take part in the Azzurri's next matches against Malta and England on Saturday and Wednesday, respectively.