Angel Di Maria and USA star Weston McKinnie are amongst a group of 12 players who have been implicated in an illegal betting scandal.
Juventus’s Weston McKennie and Benfica’s Angel Di Maria are reportedly being investigated by Italian authorities for alleged involvement in illegal online gambling, according to La Repubblica (via talkSPORT).
Junior Firpo – the Leeds United left-back – is one of the bigger names under investigation, alongside Di Maria and McKinnie.
Di Maria, the Argentina international, and McKinnie, the Juventus and United States midfielder are said to have used unlicensed platforms to place bets — though crucially, there is no accusation of wagering on football matches.
They are not alone though. The group also includes Alessandro Florenzi, Nicolo Zaniolo, Mattia Perin, Leandro Paredes, Angel Di Maria, Raoul Bellanova, Samuele Ricci, Cristian Buonaiuto, Matteo Cancellieri and Junior Firpo.
All are alleged to have transferred large amounts of money to two individuals running illegal betting websites, with a jewellery store reportedly used as a cover for financial transactions.
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There are also accusations of participating in illegal online poker games, according to Corriere della Sera.
The matches are said to have taken place between December 2021 and October 2023 on restricted-access betting platforms.
The underground games were allegedly orchestrated by a five-person syndicate based in Milan, three of whom are believed to operate luxury jewellery businesses.
Prosecutors claim that these stores were used as fronts to facilitate payments — with bettors placing fictitious orders for high-end items that were never actually delivered.
The jewellery shops, investigators suggest, effectively acted as unofficial financial institutions, bypassing regulations set by the Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency.
According to Italian media, prosecutors have requested house arrest for those believed to be running the operation, with potential money laundering charges also on the table.
