English manager who gambled £879,000 unpunished by FA

The Football Association will not penalize an unnamed English professional soccer manager involved in an alleged blackmail case, according to The Athletic. However, court records reveal that he wagered £879,000 over the course of two years, losing £270,000. Among them were wagers on his own sport. The announcement has drawn attention since it stands in stark contrast to the recent sentence meted out to England and Brentford forward Ivan Toney for participating in sports betting.

After confessing to 232 violations of FA betting regulations, Toney, 26, received an eight-month pro soccer ban, a punishment that many thought was too severe.

 

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Eight months seems like a very harsh penalty for Toney given what we know about this unnamed manager's bets. Both situations also highlight the challenge for leagues regulating what players and managers do in their personal time.