Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali
Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali
Sandro Tonali has revealed his early morning punctuality once landed him in hot water at AC Milan - and admits that he has always struggled when it comes to waking up on time.
The Italian has been in excellent form this season and head coach Eddie Howe may have no issues with leniency if his performances in the 2024/25 season are maintained. But speaking in an interview with Cronache di Spogliatoio, Tonali spoke of a time when he was dropped after being late for a team meeting under former AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli.
Newcastle United star Tonali said to the Italian publication: "Once Pioli left me out because I had skipped both breakfast and the meeting. I was 40 minutes late, but waking up in the morning is my problem. I will always have it."
Tonali has looked alive and alert on match days under Howe though this season and the dream midfield trio of Joelinton, the Italian star and Bruno Guimaraes has finally taken the Premier League by storm. The trio were also immense in the Carabao Cup final win over Liverpool at Wembley two weeks ago.
The Italian's performances have led to a wealth of interest in his services. The likes of Milan, Manchester United and Barcelona have all been linked with the star, but Newcastle have laughed off any speculation.
The playmaker is seen as a vital cog in Howe's plans as Newcastle look to build a side that can challenge for honours regularly. The club stuck with the player during his spell on the sidelines and Tonali is keen to repay them.
Tonali has also confessed that he ditched his mobile phone during his 10-month FIFA ban for illegal betting. The former Brescia ace said: "I was lucky to be in England. I lived seven months without a phone, without a tablet. I only watched TV for matches and films. I didn't watch the news, I didn't get any news.
"Also because I imagine that in that period there wasn't (headlines such as) 'Sandro Tonali made a mistake'. Not watching social media and TV made me feel completely lighter.
"I have no idea what happened in those months and I don't care, that's the beauty of it. I know that I made a mistake, I know that I paid and that I worked to be a better man, but I wasn't interested in updating social media looking for my name."