The professional football player Daniel Sturridge has been accused of misconduct by the Football Association (FA) after facing allegations of breaches of the governing body of English football.
Reportedly, the charge is related to the loan move of Sturridge from Liverpool to West Bromwich Albion earlier in 2018, with “the period of January 2018” being specifically mentioned in the statement of the FA. The case against Sturridge is expected to be built on whether internal information was knowingly passed on at a time when Southampton, Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion were interested in signing the striker.
Former Manchester City player Daniel Sturridge charged by the FA. Even their former players are corrupt.
— LFC Stanley House (@LFCStanleyHouse) November 12, 2018
The former Liverpool player has been given until 6:00 PM on November 20th to provide a formal response to the allegations. According to reports, he has already talked to Liverpool F.C. and told them that he has never gambled on football. The club, on the other hand, has also revealed that their former striker has cooperated with the investigators and has promised them that he will continue to do so.
According to media reports, the investigation has been carried out for about eight months, with Sturridge facing charges in related to Rule E8(1)(a)(ii) and Rule E8(1)(b) of the Football Association’s rules.
Other FA Betting Rules Breaches Have Emerged Over the Years
For the time being, gambling on games is fully prohibited under FA rules. Apart from that, the Association does not allow players to be involved in betting or any matter connected to football in any way. Players are also banned from passing internal information, which they got because of their position in the game, to any outside party to be used while a bet is placed.
The Football Association has so far refused to make comments on the alleged breach of Sturridge. As mentioned above, Liverpool F.C. explained that the player has provided his full in unequivocal cooperation on the case. Rumour has it that the club has been aware of the probe for some time. Representatives of the player said that they had nothing to add to the club’s statement.
How ironic that for years Liverpool have been gambling on Daniel Sturridge's fitness…
— The Tears of a Clown (@Modmuffin) November 12, 2018
This is not the first time when information of a football player breaching the FA betting rules has emerged. There has been a number of precedents for proven breaches over the years, with the punishments for that varying from simple warnings and monetary fines to lengthy suspensions from the game.
The most recent case of a high-profile football player breaching the FA betting rules was the one of Joey Barton, who got an 18-month suspension from the game in 2017 for placing bets on the game. His ban was later reduced by almost five months.
As Casino Guardian has previously reported, extensive gambling has turned into an increasing problem among football players and other professional athletes over the past few years. Currently, about two-thirds of English football clubs have gambling companies as their shirt sponsors, which makes them actively advertise gambling on live football. Both the gambling sector and football clubs which are sponsored by betting operators have been blamed by anti-gambling campaigners for popularising gambling and making it look normal to under-aged individuals and more vulnerable people.
- Author
Daniel Williams
