Sandro Tonali is taking the Champions League semi-final against Inter very seriously, so much so that he has put himself into a ritiro of sorts to maintain full focus.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (as seen below), Tonali’s phone has been ringing for days but he rarely appears active on WhatsApp unless he gets notifications for new team chat messages.
On Instagram he further limited access, and while Tonali has never been as active as Rafael Leao on social media for example, there is no doubting that he is attempting to fully zone in ahead of tomorrow’s first leg.
Sandro celebrated his 23rd birthday and reposted in a series of stories from his team-mates but that was as close as things got to a group celebration. Instead, he was limited to a dinner at home with his beloved girlfriend Giulia and with them Margot, a ‘super-pampered French bulldog’.
It was a very low profile event, with the lights off very early, whereas 12 months ago he had a dinner of sushi, cake and pyrotechnic candles. Two days earlier Tonali had scored twice against Verona, decisive in the Scudetto battle, which was one more reason to celebrate.
Instead he is on the straight and narrow in the build-up to the derby. He explained to those who like to enjoy his company that this week he prefers not to be seen around, with a self-imposed reteat having actually already begun after the home draw against Cremonese.
Even his menu for the week has become more rigorous and he is on a more scrupulous diet, getting in to work earlier at Milanello too, all with the objective of making up for lost time in the future with a smile on his face and a spot in the final booked.
