Joey Barton has been charged by the Scottish Football Association with breaking gambling rules.
On September 20, it was revealed that the Rangers midfielder was under investigation after allegedly breaking betting rules in the Champions League clash between Barcelona and Celtic last month.
According to a statement from the SFA, Barton is accused of placing 44 bets between July 1 and September 15 this year, despite the fact that SFA Disciplinary rule 33 prohibits players, coaches, club officials and referees in Scotland from betting on football anywhere in the world.
The 34-year-old is due to return to training for Rangers next week after serving a three-week suspension following a training-ground altercation with teammate Andy Halliday.
Barton, whose latest off-the-field issues have coincided with the release of his autobiography No Nonsense, has until October 12 to respond to the charge.
Matt Law
