Paul Merson criticizes the banning of the Newcastle star player
The banning of Sandro Tonali has proven to be a telling blow for Newcastle as this season has been a forgetful one. Newcastle are out of all the cup competitions and are currently struggling in their quest of securing European football next season. Former Arsenal player, Paul Merson has come to the support of the Italian star who plays for the Magpies saying it is a 'disgrace' to give him a 10-month ban. Merson agrees that he was a gambler too in his playing days and banning players for gambling as it happened to Ivan Toney of Brentford too, things will not improve. As reported on BBC Sport, Paul Merson said;
"People have no respect for the gambling addiction.
- Paul Merson
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'."
Paul Merson won 2 league titles, one FA Cup, the League Cup, and the European Cup Winners’ Cup for Arsenal. He also represented the English national team 21 times. The 55-year-old admitted on the Sacked in the Morning podcast that he was also a gambling addict and this problem of gambling is now bigger than the alcohol problem footballers used to face. This is what he had to say;
"With gambling, clubs think, ‘well, it’s not harming them really – it’s not going to affect their game’. But it will affect their game more than drink.
- Paul Merson
I used to think I was a bad person who was trying to be a good person but I wasn’t, I was an ill person who needed to get well."
What do you think about these comments from Paul Merson?
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