Brentford striker Ivan Tony is in big trouble.
Brentford forward Ivan Toney is facing a lengthy ban. The England striker has pleaded guilty to betting violations. Between February 2017 and January 2021, the player committed 262 violations. Now the main star of Brentford and a potential candidate for getting into the England squad for Euro 2024 qualifiers may need football for a long time. We tell what threatens the athlete.
How disqualified is Ivan Toney?
The investigation into Tony began almost 10 months ago. In November 2022, the striker was charged with 232 alleged betting violations, with 30 more charges filed a month later. The FA evaluates these offenses on a case-by-case basis, so any previous examples of betting violations by players are not expected to impact the severity of Ivan's punishment directly.
According to Sky Sports News, the Englishman faces a suspension of at least six months if it is found that he was betting on his team. During the period under review, the striker played for Scunthorpe, Wigan, Peterborough, and Brentford. Now Tony, his lawyer, and his representatives are discussing each violation with the legal representatives of the Football Association of England and Brentford. According to the Daily Mail, the attacker will challenge several charges.
According to The Sun, an official FA disciplinary commission in the case will be held within a few weeks, allowing Tony to serve his sentence before the end of this season, so he will be credited with June and July when the championship matches are not played.
How does Ivan Tony play?
The Brentford striker is the third top scorer in the Premier League. He shares third place with Marcus Rashford (14 goals each). At the same time, Ivan played three matches less than the Manchester United forward, and in addition, he made three assists. Regarding appearances for the England national team, in September 2022, Toni received his first call-up to the national team. He was left on the bench against Germany in the Nations League and did not go to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Given the performance, the striker was supposed to be in the England squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers. Still, the player risks missing all the qualifying matches due to the current situation.
Who has already been disqualified for violating the betting rules?
In 2020, Kieran Trippier was suspended for 10 weeks from football and fined £70,000. A year earlier, the defender had told his friend to make a bet ahead of his move from Tottenham to Atlético. In 2016, Burnley player Joey Barton was suspended for a year and a half (as a result, the ban was reduced to five months), ending his career. Within 10 years, he made 1260 bets. Instead of challenging the decision, he ended up playing football.
Former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has also been caught. In 2018, he was suspended for four months after being found guilty of leaking information regarding his transfer. The striker was fined £150,000, and Trabzonspor terminated his contract.
02.03.2023