Spain captain Morata reportedly helps Italian teammate pay off gambling debts with Rolex watch sale

Fagioli, the Italian midfielder who is under investigation for his involvement in an illegal betting ring, sought financial help from friends and colleagues to launch a luxury watch business with Morata. His goal was to generate quick money to clear his gambling debts.

He said Morata got him Rolex watches at a much cheaper price so he could resell them, and the two have been doing this for a year, said one of Fagioli's text messages, collected by authorities. Morata, Spain's Euro 2024-winning captain, is not part of the ongoing investigation by the Milan Prosecutor's Office, beIN SPORTS reported.

Alvaro Morata plays for Turkish club Galatasaray in 2025. Photo by Instagram/@alvaromorata

In October 2023, Fagioli was banned for seven months by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) as part of an investigation into illegal betting involving his fellow Italian teammates Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo. At the time, Fagioli self-reported his involvement and was treated for gambling addiction. He also revealed that leaders of illegal betting networks had threatened him, leading him to borrow money from two of his Juventus teammates to pay off his debts.

The investigation and Fagioli's private conversations revealed the state of his gambling debt, which amounted to a staggering $3 million.

Desperate to pay off the debt and under threat from the illegal betting network, Fagioli was forced to act as a recruiter for the gambling ring. He also reached out to his Juventus teammates, close friends, and former teammates at Cremonese to help raise money for his debts.

In recent days, the Italian media have continued to expose more details about the illegal betting scandal.

Nicolo Fagioli when he was a Juventus player. Photo by AFP

On April 14, Fagioli took to Instagram with a lengthy post calling for respect and urging the media to stop revealing personal details that forced him to relive painful events. The 24-year-old midfielder stated that he had already paid the price for his mistake with a suspension and has faced insults and humiliation because of the scandal. He apologized for involving his teammates and friends and expressed his desire to focus on his career.

On the same day, Morata addressed the allegations on Instagram, denying that he had helped Fagioli with his debts. The Euro 2024 champion emphasized that the only way he has helped Fagioli over the years is by offering career advice as a friend and more experienced teammate.

Fagioli began his career at Piacenza before moving to Cremonese and later joining Juventus, where he was promoted to the first team in 2021. In his 69 appearances, Fagioli scored three goals and is currently on loan at Fiorentina.

Morata, who has had two stints at Juventus, first played for the club from 2014 to 2016 after being bought from Real Madrid. He returned to Juventus in 2020 on loan from Atletico Madrid and remained with the club until 2022.