Italy plunged into chaos as Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali and Aston Villa's Nicolo Zaniolo sent home after being quizzed over alleged betting breaches

The two players were questioned by police on Thursday in relation to alleged betting breaches, as reported by ANSA. Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagiolo has also been investigated for betting on illegal platforms.

The FIGC have confirmed both players have left the Italy squad ahead of Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and England.

"The Federation announces that, in the late afternoon of today, the Public Prosecutor's Office of Turin has notified investigative acts to footballers Sandro Tonali and Nicolò Zaniolo, currently meeting with the national team at the Federal Technical Center of Coverciano," read a statement from the FIGC.

"Regardless of the allegations, we believe in this situation the players are not in the necessary condition to face the commitments scheduled in the next days. The Federation has decided, also to protect them, to allow them to return to their respective clubs."

Both players have been accused of breaching betting regulations, with one example outlining how Zaniolo bet on Roma's Coppa Italia games, while he was part of the matchday squad, as reported by Fabrizio Corona.

Despite both players recently securing moves away from Serie A to the Premier League, if found guilty, any ban would be extended to all UEFA and FIFA affiliated competition.

Both players will now return to their respective clubs, as the investigation regarding the illegal betting continues.

Meanwhile, Italy return to action on Malta on Saturday Bari and then head to Wembley Stadium to take on England.