Sandro Tonali has revealed that he had the chance to join Inter but turned it down, and then the call arrived from AC Milan which he had been waiting for.
Tonali’s arrival from Brescia was one that was greeted with huge excitement given his status as one of the best midfield talents Italy had produced in some time and the fact that he was a boyhood fan of Milan.
The couple of years he spent with the Rossoneri were certainly positive too as his performances grew and he scored some crucial goals in the 2021-22 Scudetto season. Then, the decision was made to sell him to Newcastle in 2023, when a huge offer came in.
Tonali is back on the field after serving a ban for breaking betting rules, and he spoke to La Repubblica (via MilanNews) about a number of topics, including his favourite games and what it was like to get a call from Paolo Maldini.
What was the ban like?
“In the first two months I was detached from everyone, then returning to life, training every day without having the match, I understood that I was paying for what I had done.”
Your most emotional encounter?
“In Newcastle, in a factory that produces covers for gas pipes in the ocean. I went there because gambling is very widespread in England. There was someone who told me, several months after the disqualification: ‘I stopped betting because of what happened to you’.
“They had been compulsive gamblers for years. An Italian told me that an employee earns 2,000 pounds a month, but sometimes needs to work overtime to support his family: he throws too much money away on gambling.”
Do you often think about the past?
“I happened to think about when I could have gone to Inter. I never accepted, not because it’s not a strong team, but I didn’t consider myself 100% happy. Every day we talked about it. I spoke to my agent and the doubts were huge.
“I didn’t want to climb the mountain. Paolo Maldini’s call changed everything, it made me happy and I said: ‘Either I go to Milan or I stay at Brescia’. My dad passed it on to me, this bond with Milan.
“I had breakfast with Gattuso’s red and black cup and when it broke I forced my mum to fix it piece by piece. When the transfer came to fruition, I asked Rino for permission to wear his No.8.”
Who is Tonali in his second life?
“Someone who can talk to everyone: those who need help and those who don’t. A more available and generous person. No longer alone on the pitch.”
“When the transfer came to fruition, I asked Rino for permission to wear his No.8.” And Gattuso said “What the hell are you calling me about that for? It’s freaking 2am” if I recall..
The heart of milan is gone. It is time for mercenaries.
I think right now the only players who still plays with Milan in their heart are Gabbia and Reijnders. The rest just wants the money or wants to leave to a better club asap.
I think Pavlo and Santi could be next rossonero
Someone who idolize gattuso must be play with his heart full.
what u expect if u have Ibra as club advisor, banker as SD & head scout who only knew cheap French w/ FM data addiction?
When i read the news about he got sold to Newcastle, it hurt my heart and at that moment i know the new management will destroy Milan.
I t was financially short sighted!
The money we earned from him was squandered on rubbish. Plus the lost revenue from our drop in performance.
Tonali is exactly the type of player we are missing
Some of it was, yes. But didn’t we also get Tiji and Pulisic from that sale?
Those are literally our two best players this year.
Reijnders is completely different type of midfielder. They went on to buy RLC, Musah and Fofana who together cost as much as Tonali was sold for and yet they’re nowhere near to his level. Midfield is still where we suffer the most.
Not properly reinforced for sure. But his argument was that Tonali money was wasted, which is false.
Puli and Reijnders aren’t rubbish. They are players to build around. Our management just can’t seem to do it.
They signed
Musah
RLC
Tiji
Chucky
Pulisic
Okafor
Terraciano
Pellegrino
Jovic
Sportiello
Romero
Out of those 11 players, two have been succesful.
I would call that a load of rubbish
Those weren’t all solely from the Tonali money, but the combined market value of those players you listed is now €150-200m…
“ happened to think about when I could go to #Inter . I never accepted it: not because it isn’t a strong team, but I didn’t consider myself 100% happy. We talked about it every day. I spoke to my agent and my doubts were huge. The mountain I didn’t want to climb. Paolo’s call #Maldini changed everything, it made me happy and I said: «Either I go to #Milan or I stay at #Brescia ». My dad passed it on to me, this bond with Milan. I had breakfast with the red and black cup from #Gattuso and when it broke I forced my mum to fix it piece by piece. When the transfer came to fruition, I asked Rino for permission to wear his no. 8″.
EVERYTHING went DOWNHILL after the firing of M&M and the sale of Tonali. The heart and soul of the team was taken away – Maldini off the pitch who every player respects and trusted – and Tonali on the pitch who fought for the colors like his idol Gattuso. You cannot simply replace such people or players so easily as we have come to see – and we haven’t been the same since. Took us over 10 years to get back to the top and in one foolish, idiotic and self centered summer – Gerry and Redbird destroyed everything. Now we are in, what feels like an everlasting tail spin. I pray this joker sells the team and starts the process of leaving our glorious club. A man can dream
Tonali: “I had breakfast with Gattuso’s red and black cup and when it broke I forced my mum to fix it piece by piece. When the transfer came to fruition, I asked Rino for permission to wear his No.8.”
Emerson: “Fck it! I’ll just take the No.22 shirt. Who’s gonna notice”
I’m hoping for the day that Tonali and Paolo Maldini comes back. 😞