Sandro Tonali arrived at Newcastle United from AC Milan in July 2023 and finished his debut season for the Magpies with only 12 appearances in all competitions.
In October 2023, the Italy international was suspended for 10 months for breaching Italian betting regulations, and that restricted his appearances for Newcastle last season.
The Newcastle player served his suspension and returned to the pitch at the start of this season, against Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup in August. Since then, he’s been a regular under Eddie Howe, featuring 15 times in all competitions so far.
Tonali has given a lengthy interview to Vivo Azzurro TV and his comments are relayed by [Calciomercato](https://www.calciomercato.com/news/tonali-avevo-un-vuoto-dentro-me-il-ritorno-in-campo-e-stato-una--98714). The 24-year-old explained what he went through when he returned after serving the 10-month ban.
_“My return to the field with France was a bit of a liberation. I experienced the first games with Newcastle a lot on an emotional level and little on a football level, but I experienced that one totally on a football level,”_ he said.
_“It was the third match, and I no longer had the emotion of the first. It was very nice, everything came naturally.”_
The player was training with the Premier League side while being suspended and faced a new challenge during that period, one which caused a lot of frustration.
_“Last year was a very hard path, but very productive._ _I’ll will always carry with me the memory of the year that I spent off the pitch because it is right not to forget,”_ Tonali explained.
_“I think when a player trains all week without his ultimate goal, which is the game, he finds a sense of emptiness inside him.”_
_“It wasn’t easy to spend the first year away from home without playing an official game, but trying to keep fit. This was the challenge I had to face in the most serious way possible.”_
The Newcastle star also returned to the national team in September and Italy manager Luciano Spalletti called him up for the last two international breaks.
Tonali started in all six matches for Azzurri this season and the former Napoli manager was initially well aware of his condition.
_“The relationship with Spalletti was very important, he was close to me. We didn’t speak so much, but we spoke at the right times, both before and after Euros. He hoped to find me in normal shape, knowing that after a year off I wouldn’t be able to feel great,”_ he added.
_“We are working on one aspect, which is simplicity. Everyone did what they know how to do in the best way, without making anything up. All players are thus valued, technically and physically, everyone helps their teammate and there is no individualism. This has made the difference so far.”_
_“We all have the dream of winning every single match and trying to win trophies. Because a victory with the national team lasts forever and is worth much more than anything else.”_