In tonight’s game against Sandro Tonali it seems almost certain that Sandro Tonali will rack up his 100th appearances in an AC Milan shirt.
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La Gazzetta dello Sport have picked out five big moments from Tonali’s time with the club so far, which began in the summer of 2020 when he joined on an initial season-long loan deal from Brescia with an option to buy.
Debut: On 17 September 2020, after a negotiation that lasted what felt like months months and a lot of competition, Tonali made his debut against Shamrock Rovers in Ireland, in the second qualifying round of the Europa League.
Lift off: It took him a year to win the hearts of the fans after a first season with no goals in 37 appearances and some teething problems. A leap in quality came last year, when his first goal for the club came against Cagliari via a stunning free kick. It was a goal identical to that scored by Pirlo against Parma twenty years earlier.
Biggest stage: That Champions League music came last season, with Tonali achieving another dream. A tough group awaited as Liverpool, Porto and Atletico Madrid were the opponents, as Tonali made his debut against the Reds on 15 September, replacing Ismael Bennacer for the last twenty minutes. Today he is a permanent starter in a team which will face Tottenham in the round of 16.
Decisive: Tonali gained a reputation for being decisive in the Scudetto run. Back on 24 April, Milan arrived in Rome to face Lazio virtually needing a win. Immobile scored after four minutes, but Giroud equalised and in the final minute Tonali sent the thousands of Milan fans at the Olimpico into raptures with a late winner.
Champion: The image of Tonali smiling with the Scudetto in his hands has been on the shelves of his house since last May, when Milan won the Scudetto after a 3-0 win against Sassuolo. Tonali’s journey from an initial loan to taking a pay cut so he could join permanently was complete.
Tonight he will remember the time of the letter he sent to to Santa Lucia, kept by grandmother Gina. The question was only one: “Will I become a footballer?” Time has given the answer.
