Ex-Arsenal star, Paul Merson has come out to label the bans handed to Sandro Tonali and Ivan Toney for betting offences a disgrace. He recently had his say while speaking to the press, and fans have been reacting.
According to him, it is sad to see how people have no respect for the gambling addiction, and the decision to give both footballers 10-month bans for an addiction they are struggling with off the pitch is ravaging football.
Ivan Toney
Paul added that both players who were punished needed help, but the FA sanctioned them instead.
His words, “People have no respect for the gambling addiction. We’ve seen that with the bans of Sandro Tonali at Newcastle and Ivan Toney at Brentford. To give people 10-month bans for an addiction that is ravaging football, with sponsorships all over the shirts… They needed help and I don’t think ‘help’ is giving them 10-month bans. We underestimate this addiction. We need to show it some respect and not, ‘oh, show a bit of willpower’. I would say to the people who make these rules up and ban people, ‘next time you get diarrhoea, try and stop that with willpower’.”