Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali has earned rave reviews from the Italian media after making a successful return to the national team.
Tonali’s 10-month betting ban expired less than a fortnight ago, and he marked his comeback by starting United’s Carabao Cup win at Nottingham Forest before coming on as a 68th minute substitute in the Premier League victory against Tottenham Hotspur.
While the Magpies chose to ease Tonali back in, Italy did anything but after the 24-year-old played back-to-back full games away to France and Israel in the Nations League. That was despite the fixtures falling just three days apart.
In Paris, Tonali’s deft flick saw Federico Dimarco volley home an equaliser, which led to a remarkable 3-1 comeback victory. And in Israel, Azzurri won again, this time 2-1, as Tonali saw a goal marginally ruled out for offside.
Having completed both matches, the Italian media were left blown away by Tonali’s physical output. That may just be enough to suggest that Tonali is ready to start Newcastle’s trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday.
Eurosport Italy handed Tonali a 7.5/10 and wrote: “Not only does he create, but he shows an overflowing physical condition despite coming from a year of suspension. There is no way around it: with him in the construction phase, Italy is a different team and his value soars.”
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Leggo dished out a 7/10, noting: “He covers a lot of kilometres and also puts in a lot of quality. A modern midfielder, capable of doing everything with great naturalness. He even comes close to scoring. He never stops. Inexhaustible.”
Corriere Della Sera rated Tonali 6/10 but hailed him as a “leader”. They wrote: “It’s a dirty game, for him it’s the second as a starter in a few days after 11 months: he goes beyond the fatigue, without holding back. Leader.”
With Tonali’s international return coinciding with consecutive wins, the media and fans alike believe the former AC Milan star could be catalyst behind an Italian resurgence. Prior to the two games, Luciano Spalletti’s side flopped at Euro 2024 after losing in the last 16 to Switzerland.
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