Di Maria and Paredes deny involvement in illegal betting activities

Argentina's World Cup-winning duo, Angel Di María and Leandro Paredes, have denied any involvement in illegal betting, following reports linking them to an ongoing investigation in Italy's Serie A.

Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera revealed that the investigation began after examining the phones of footballers Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Fagioli, who had been banned last year for their involvement in betting. Investigators uncovered a network of athletes who had been regularly engaging in illicit betting activities.

Tonali, the former AC Milan midfielder now playing for Newcastle United, admitted to his betting addiction last year and was banned for 10 months. Fagioli, currently on loan at Fiorentina from Juventus, was banned for seven months for the same reason. Both Di María and Paredes were teammates at Juventus with Fagioli.

In response to the allegations, Di María clarified on Instagram, stating, "In light of the recent media reports, I want to make it clear that I have never participated in any illegal betting." Paredes also took to Instagram, adding, "I want to clarify, in light of recent rumours, that I have never been involved in any form of illegal betting."

The Corriere della Sera report also confirmed that none of the players under investigation had thrown matches, with most of the betting occurring outside official channels. The investigation suggests that two illegal online betting platforms were used by some Serie A players, with three managers from a jewellery shop in Milan reportedly assisting players by managing their betting accounts, effectively acting as "banks" for the transactions.