Ambrosini says Tonali is ‘neither Gattuso nor Pirlo’ and calls him a ‘symbol of Milan’

Former AC Milan midfielder Massimo Ambrosini has said that Sandro Tonali is not like Gennaro Gattuso or Andrea Pirlo in the way he plays, according to a report.

For much of Tonali’s career, even before the move to Milan, he has been compared to various Italian midfielders that have gone before him.

Given he started his career at Brescia and plays in a similar role, the most common comparison was with former Milan and Juventus midfielder Pirlo.

Speaking during an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Milan News), Ambrosini said he does not think he should be seen as a clone of a former Milan midfielder, saying: “For me he’s neither Pirlo nor Gattuso. And whether he wins the Scudetto or not, he’s already a symbol of Milan.”

Ambrosini won the Serie A title in the 1998/99 season under the guidance of Alberto Zaccheroni and he was the same age that Tonali is now when Inter could win the title again.

“If Tonali were to become a champion, it would remind me of the title we won with Zaccheroni in 1998-99. I was the same age as Sandro and I was a starter in midfield. Although today’s Milan has more awareness than the one in ’99.”

Tonali has become a key player for the Rossoneri this season after a difficult first year at the club. Despite pointing out where he can improve, Ambrosini is impressed with the youngster.

“Now he has a big presence, you can feel him even in those phases of the match when he’s maybe a little less sharp than usual.

“At the same time, however, Tonali also has important room for improvement. He has the technical ability to score more from outside the box, and more generally with his dynamism he can sprint and get into the box more.”