Pirlo 'feels sorry' for Newcastle's Tonali as Ancelotti weighs in on alleged Italian betting saga

Andrea Pirlo admits he feels 'sorry' for fellow AC Milan hero Sandro Tonali after the midfielder was dragged into the centre of an alleged betting scandal last week. Newcastle United's mega-money summer signing was quizzed by authorities looking into the possibility of illegal betting in Italian football, before he was subsequently released early from international duty.

Tonali is back on Tyneside and can play for Newcastle on Saturday against Crystal Palace. He is receiving support from Eddie Howe and his team-mates as the Magpies seek to discover the full details of why Tonali is a person of interest in the Italian probe.

The 23-year-old's role in the investigation remains unclear but that hasn't stopped the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Italy boss Luciano Spalletti offering their unwavering support in recent days. Now Pirlo, who many compared Tonali to when he was making his name at Brescia, is hoping for a positive outcome.

"I feel sorry for Zaniolo and Tonali because they are young boys, heritage of our football. Seeing these boys in the middle of this matter is unpleasant. I have spoken with my players, we hope there are no other cases. We must be attentive," the Sampdoria boss told Il Festival dello Sport.

"They have the best job in the world. It's useless to waste time on these banalities. They have everything they want: money, success, fame. Throwing all that away and ruining their careers for these things is really ugly. We're sorry. We will see and we hope it is not serious."

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti knows a thing or two about Italian football having won Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana during his trophy-laden career. Media in his native country are now reporting as many as 40 Serie A players could be implicated in the ongoing betting investigation.

The news comes after Juventus star Nicolo Fagioli handed himself into authorities and began cooperating after being accused of gambling on illegal platforms. Ancelotti was quizzed on the matter this week, admitting he is surprised by the apparent scale of the issue in Italy. "On a scientific level, gambling addiction is a disease," he told Rai Radio 1.

"That said, for me it is an individual negligence, but it seems to involve all of Italian football. Justice will take its course, it seems to me to be an oversight by young people who have broken a fairly clear sporting rule: you cannot bet.

"For those who do this work, it is very clear. It is warned before each season in all countries that it is a prohibited game. The responsibility that young footballers have is different from that I had. Now the young footballer has a whole structure behind him between family members and agents who manage his career.

"For all of them, responsibility increases. However, for the majority it is made up of serious, professional people who know well what rules to respect."