Sandro Tonali – These revealing updates nine and eleven months ago gave us insight of what we had | OneFootball

It is now 21 months ago since we found out that Sandro Tonali had signed for Newcastle United.

The Italy international agreeing to move to St James’ Park from the San Siro in early July 2023.

Nobody can claim that the first season after moving to Tyneside was easy for Sandro Tonali, nor for Newcastle United.

Within three months of signing we discovered that the star summer signing was under investigation for gambling on football matches, whilst playing for AC Milan.

That then leading to a ten month worldwide ban from playing matches.

Fair to say a mixture of reaction from Newcastle United fans when this became the reality, there was anger, sympathy, frustration, disbelief, as we knew it would be August 2024 before Sandro Tonali could next play for Newcastle United at the earliest.

As time went on, Newcastle supporters eventually came to terms with the player’s suspension and the more and more we got to hear about Tonali’s character, how he was facing up to his responsibilities, confidence grew that we could eventually see a real asset to NUFC.

These revealing updates from Eddie Howe, eleven and nine months ago, giving fans an idea of what sort of person Sandro Tonali really was.

Eddie Howe revealing that Sandro Tonali had asked to take a voluntary pay cut because he felt guilty after having been banned so soon after joining Newcastle United and not able to play – 3 May 2024:

“It was something that he (Sandro Tonali) wanted to do.

“He felt the guilt.

“He felt that joining a new club, it was something he wanted to show the club.

“In good faith.

“That he was sorry and determined to put it behind him, try to learn from it.

“They are all really good signs for the future.

“That we have got a very good human being in the football club.

“Someone who is keen to show all the good he can do for Newcastle United.”

Eddie Howe talking about Sandro Tonali ahead of the 2024/25 season – 27 July 2025:

“Sandro Tonali has come back really fit and focused.

“You can see a change in his demeanour.

“There is definitely a change in him, in terms of [how he is] feeling as he is closer to playing.

“It is very difficult when you have that stretch ahead of you and you are not going to play competitively for such a length of time.

“He now looks ready to play, ready to make a difference.

“He does feel like an absolute new signing and somebody who we desperately missed last year.

“He will feel like he has got points to prove, objectives to hit.

“He came here with very clear motivations to be successful.

“He is a deep thinker and someone who wants to do very well.

“I have no doubt he will.”

Bringing this up to date, we now see a Sandro Tonali who is arguably only second behind Alexander Isak in terms of Newcastle United’s biggest asset. What a player he has proved this season and we can only look forward to even better times ahead with the Italian maestro.

Fair to say, we are all Spaghetti and Moretti fans these days.