Sandro Tonali has made his long-awaited return to football after serving a 10-month suspension. The Newcastle United and Italy midfielder recently sat down for an extensive interview with Vivo Azzurro TV, reflecting on his challenging journey and his excitement to be back on the pitch.
On his comeback match for Italy against France, Tonali expressed a sense of relief:
“My return to the field against France was a bit of a liberation. The first encounters with Newcastle were very emotional, but this one I experienced totally on a football level. It was the third match and I no longer had the emotion of the first. It was very beautiful, everything came naturally.”
The 24-year-old didn’t shy away from discussing the difficulties he faced during his suspension:
“Last year’s journey was very hard, but very productive. I will always carry with me the memory of the year I spent off the field because it’s right not to forget it. I believe that when a player trains all week without his final objective, which is the match, he finds a sense of emptiness inside himself. It wasn’t easy to spend the first year away from home without playing an official match, but trying to maintain only physical fitness. This was the challenge I had to face in the most serious way possible.”
Tonali also reminisced about his early days in football and his first setback:
“I played with my brother and his friends, who were all three or four years older than me, and I was as good as them despite the age difference. I was a child fan who hoped to become a footballer, I asked Santa Lucia because it’s a very important holiday for us. I had written to her asking to become a footballer and to do it with the Milan shirt, Santa Lucia or someone else must have listened to me…”
“The key was that I didn’t take it as an exam, but as fun and training. I put a full stop and took another path. I believe there are many young people who lose hope in case of a negative outcome, but it’s just one of the many obstacles that football puts in front of you.”
The midfielder spoke warmly about his relationship with Gennaro Gattuso:
“My relationship with Rino started after my arrival at Milan with the request for his shirt number, which I had seen him wear for so long and in the best way. I felt I had to ask his permission and advice, from there a relationship was born that still exists today. He’s a golden person, different in real life from how he appeared on the field. On the field he seemed ‘mean’, while he is always very helpful, he helps everyone. This is the characteristic that makes me love Gattuso even off the field.”
Finally, Tonali shared his thoughts on playing for the national team under manager Luciano Spalletti:
“With Mr. Spalletti, the relationship has been very important, he has been close to me. We didn’t talk much, but we talked at the right moments, both before and after the European Championship. He hoped to find me in normal form, knowing that after a year off I couldn’t be feeling great. We are working on one aspect, which is simplicity. Everyone has done what they know how to do in the best way, without inventing anything. This enhances all the players, technically and physically, everyone helps their teammate and there are no individualisms. This has made the difference so far. We all have the dream of winning every single match and trying to win trophies. Because a victory with the national team stays forever and is worth much more than anything else.”
