Harry Toffolo gets 5-month suspended ban for breaching betting rules

LONDON –

Nottingham Forest defender Harry Toffolo was given a suspended five-month ban for breaching English soccer’s betting rules, the Football Association said Wednesday.

Toffolo admitted to 375 breaches of gambling regulations and was fined 20,956 pounds ($26,177), the FA said.

The FA has not yet revealed details of the violations, which occurred between Jan. 22, 2014 and March 18, 2017. The ban was suspended until the end of the 2024-25 season.

The sanctions were imposed after a hearing with an independent regulatory commission and the full reasons for the decision will be published at a later date, the FA said.

FA rules state participants “shall not bet, either directly or indirectly, or instruct, permit, cause or enable any person to bet on” matches or competitions.

Brentford and England striker Ivan Toney was suspended for eight months in May after 232 counts of breaching betting rules.

Toney’s ban extends to Jan. 16, 2024, though he is allowed to return to training with Brentford starting next week. He was also fined $62,000.

An independent commission said Toney’s punishment could have been worse if he had not been diagnosed with a gambling addiction.