Sandro Tonali gives big interview in Italy – First encounters with Newcastle United were very emotional | OneFootball

Sandro Tonali has been talking to the Italian media.

The Newcastle United and Italy star speaking to Vivo Azzurro TV.

With Sandro Tonali talking about how big a struggle it was to train day after day but not be able to play competitive football for almost a full year.

Then how emotional it was when eventually able to play again.

First game back, Tonali was Newcastle’s best player during his time on the pitch, as United eventually won on penalties at Forest in the Carabao Cup.

Then days after that midweek cup match, Sandro Tonali came off the bench to help Newcastle see out a 2-1 home Premier League win against Tottenham.

That becoming a hat-trick of great wins on his comeback, when Tonali was a key player when Italy won 3-1 in Paris against a France side they hadn’t won away against in decades.

“My return to the field [for Italy] against France was a bit of a liberation.

“The first encounters with Newcastle United were very emotional but this one I experienced totally on a football level.

“It was the third match [after the suspension ended] and I no longer had the emotion of the first.

“It was very beautiful, everything came naturally.

“Last year’s journey was very hard but also very productive.

“I will always carry with me the memory of the year I spent off the field because it’s right not to forget it.

“I believe that when a player trains all week without the final objective, which is the match, he finds a sense of emptiness inside himself.

“It wasn’t easy to spend the first year away from home without playing an official match, trying to maintain only physical fitness.”

Sandro Tonali asked about his relationship with Italy boss Luciano Spalletti:

“With Mr Spalletti, the relationship has been very important.

“He has been close to me.

“We didn’t talk a lot but we talked at the right moments, both before and after the European Championship.

“He hoped to find me in normal form, knowing that after a year off I couldn’t be feeling great.

“We are working on one aspect, which is simplicity.

“Everyone has done what they know how to do in the best way, without inventing anything [new].

“This enhances all the players, technically and physically, everyone helps their teammate and there is no individualism. This has made the difference so far.