The 27-year-old was found guilty of breaking FA rules related to sports betting.
The English Football Association (FA) has suspended Brentford striker Ivan Toney from all football-related activities for eight months.
The 27-year-old allegedly breached regulations a whopping 262 times between February 2017 and January 2021, while playing for Scunthorpe United, Wigan Athletic, Peterborough United, and Brentford.
“Ivan Toney has been suspended from all football and football-related activity with immediate effect for eight months, which runs up to and including 16 January 2024, fined £50,000 and warned as to his future conduct for breaches of The FA’s Betting Rules,” read an FA statement.
“The Brentford FC forward was charged with 262 breaches of FA Rule E8 in total between Feb. 25 2017 and Jan. 23 2021. The FA subsequently withdrew 30 of these breaches and he admitted to the remaining 232.
“His sanctions were subsequently imposed by an independent Regulatory Commission following a personal hearing. He is permitted to return to training only with his club for the final four months of his suspension starting from Sept. 17 2023.
“The independent Regulatory Commission’s written reasons for these sanctions will be published in due course, and The FA will wait to review them before commenting further.”
Toney’s eight-month suspension starts with immediate effect. While he can return to training in four months’ time, the striker can’t play football again until January 17, 2024.
On social media, Toney claimed the FA’s decision left him ‘naturally disappointed’. But he refrained from making any further comments – until the independent regulatory commission publishes the reasoning behind his suspension at least.
Brentford will also wait for the regulatory commission to publish its reasons before taking further action. Toney is the club’s top scorer and the third-highest in the Premier League this season. In 33 league games, he has smashed home 20 goals for the Bees.
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