The lawyer of Aston Villa attacker Nicolo Zaniolo has defended the Italy international amid a betting investigation.

Zaniolo has been accused of breaking betting rules in Italy.

Lawyer Gianluca Tognozzi told La Gazzetta dello Sport: "Nicolo hasn't played. He told me that too.

"It is possible that he has played card games such as poker or blackjack on illegal websites without knowing it.

"We would like to clarify everything. What are you risking? A fine of a few thousand euros. All this unless it was a repetition of the crime that it was impossible to give a financial fine."