Sandro Tonali, the 23-year-old midfielder and a £55 million summer signing from AC Milan, will face a 10-month ban from football due to violations of betting rules in Italy.

Lifestyle Nigeria reports that the head of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced this decision on Thursday.

This ban will result in his absence for the remainder of Newcastle’s season and could impact his participation in Italy’s Euro 2024 finals if they qualify.

While he won’t be eligible for competitive matches until August 2024, Tonali is allowed to train with Newcastle and participate in friendly matches.

As part of his agreement with Italian authorities, he is also required to attend treatment sessions for gambling addiction and deliver a series of talks about his experience over an additional eight-month period.

This suspension is a result of an investigation by Turin prosecutors into soccer players using illegal websites to place bets on games. Tonali’s cooperation in the investigation played a crucial role in the outcome. Without his collaboration, he could have faced a potential three-year suspension under FIFA rules.

FIGC President, Gabriele Gravina explained that Tonali was suspended for 18 months but that eight of those months were commutable by attending treatment for gambling addiction and making at least 16 public appearances at centres for young soccer players and associations for recovering addicts.

“We can’t just think about punishing the boys and not helping them recover,” Gravina added. “I think it’s worth a lot more, rather than a month ban, eight months of giving talks about what they went through, in an honest way and with the right behaviour.”

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe expressed the club’s commitment to Tonali, and his absence will present challenges for the team. Despite the ban, Tonali’s talent is acknowledged, and there is hope for his career to rebound during this period.

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson described Tonali’s 10-month ban as a “tragedy” and expressed concern about the length of the suspension. Nevertheless, it is a significant development with potential consequences for Tonali and both his club and country.

Following the shooting that led to the death of two Swedish in Brussels, Belgium abandoned their Euro 2024 qualifier match against Sweden on Monday.

Lifestyle Nigeria reports that the killings happened in the city hours before the game and are being treated as terrorism with the gunman at large.

The decision to abandon the game was confirmed at about 21:30 BST.

Officials ordered fans and players to stay in the King Baudouin Stadium for their own safety, before an evacuation began at about 22:45 BST.

Police escorted the Sweden team out of the airport, while fans were accompanied into the city.

Sweden boss Janne Andersson said he and the players only found out about the shooting at half-time.

Anderson said, “When I came down for the break, I got this information. Immediately, I felt that it was completely unreal. What kind of world do we live in today?

“I came into the locker room and when the team started talking, we agreed 100% that we didn’t want to play on out of respect for the victims and their families.”

However, it is not yet known if the victims were in Brussels to SEE the Euro 2024 qualifier.

A Swedish FA social media post said, “Our thoughts go out to all the relatives of those affected in Brussels.”

Meanwhile, the Belgian national team’s account posted a statement that read, “Our thoughts are with all those affected.”

A Update posted on social media showed an Arabic-speaking man claiming he carried out the attack in the name of God.

After the shooting on Boulevard d’Ypres, which happened at around 18:00 BST (19:00 local time), police and emergency services cordoned off nearby roads.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo “offered my sincere condolences to the Swedish PM following tonight’s harrowing attack on Swedish citizens in Brussels”.

He said, “Our thoughts are with the families and friends who lost their loved ones. As close partners the fight against terrorism is a joint one.”

The game was 1-1 when it was abandoned.

On his part, Sweden captain Victor Lindelof said, “Belgium are already qualified and we don’t have the opportunity to get to the European Championship, so I see no reason to play [replay the game].”

In a friendly match, Nigerian National Football Team, Super Eagles had to settle for a 2-2 draw against Saudi Arabia after conceding a late goal.

Lifestyle Nigeria reports Kelechi Iheanacho, who came on as a substitute, initially gave Nigeria the lead after they fell behind on Friday.

Iheanacho scored in the 81st minute, putting the Super Eagles ahead. However, a late free-kick from the Saudi Arabian team led to a draw.

The match saw the Green Falcons take the lead in the 60th minute after a mishandled corner kick by Nigerian goalkeeper Francis Uzoho resulted in an own goal. But Nigeria quickly responded, with Victor Boniface’s strike leveling the scores just 13 minutes later.

Nigeria continued to press forward, and Iheanacho, who entered the game in the 64th minute, seized an opportunity at the edge of the box, sending the ball into the top-left corner of the net, giving Nigeria the advantage.

However, in added time, Nigeria conceded a free-kick at the edge of the box, and the resulting strike deflected off a Nigerian player, resulting in a draw for Roberto Mancini’s side.

Next, Nigeria is set to play Mozambique in another friendly match as part of their preparations for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

In the 2023 AFCON, Nigeria is drawn in Group A with hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, and Equatorial Guinea, with the aim of advancing further than the round of 16, where they were eliminated in the previous edition held in neighboring Cameroon.