It seems that every other story this week has been about Sandro Tonali as the Italian’s Newcastle United future becomes a hot topic of debate.
Away from the relentless newspaper claptrap, fans are now starting to question Tonali’s loyalty to the club, especially after playing such a big role in Italy’s win over Northern Ireland last night.
Sandro Tonali sat out the Tyne-Wear derby on Sunday after picking up a knock against Barcelona. The fact that there have been four days between Sunday and Tonali’s goal-scoring performance for Italy doesn’t seem to matter to some people, and the Italian is being berated online for having the audacity to heal.
It has since been reported that Tonali wanted to play on Sunday, but Newcastle’s medical team advised against it. But with the backdrop of relentless talk surrounding a potential summer exit, fans have been in no mood to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Clearly, the relationship between Tonali and the fans is strained right now, but former Italy international Marco Materazzi has urged Tonali to remember what Newcastle did for him before deciding on his next step.
The ex-Inter defender told Hajper (via GOAL) that Tonali must not forget that Newcastle backed him at his lowest point, and that loyalty and ‘legacy’ should count for something.
*“Sandro Tonali can play in any team in Italy and England but he has to decide if he wants to stay at Newcastle United because they believed in him.*
“The city and the fans and the club believed in him and stuck by him.
He has to think about that too, not just whether he could play for Arsenal, Liverpool or Manchester United.
“I would like him to stay at Newcastle and build his legacy.”
It makes a refreshing change having that kind of voice coming from Italy, as the general feeling we get is that Italians are practically demanding he return to their shores. Tonali has been linked with a return to Serie A pretty much since the plan that brought him to Tyneside touched down at Newcastle Airport.
Whether or not Tonali feels he’s repaid that debt remains to be seen, but it’s a leap to expect ‘loyalty’ from footballers.
Loyalty amongst footballers is a funny one to contemplate. As much as Newcastle have done for Tonali and how much the club, the city and the fans supported him during his 10-month ban, he, and every other player, is just here to do a job. They have no ties to the club, especially not ones as deep as fans have. You may love your job, but if someone comes along and offers you a shedload more money to do the same thing, you’re going to at least be tempted.
It’s very rare that you get a case like Bruno Guimaraes, who has become an adopted Geordie. It’s magical when it happens, but 90% of the time, players will just follow the money. It’s a sad reality that we as fans have to deal with. We get attached to players, but when they go, we will find another to attach ourselves to. The pain will be short-lived.