Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali will be playing under at least one new manager next season.
Sandro Tonali and Italy missed out on qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in North America this week.
Manager Gennaro Gattuso paid the price of failing to qualify for the tournament with his job, which was confirmed by mutal agreement on Friday.
Italy fell at the final hurdle as they suffered a penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina, who will head to the tournament in their place. The four-time world champions haven’t featured at a World Cup since 2014 and haven’t played a knockout round game at the tournament since winning it in 2006.
Gennaro Gattuso leaves Italy role
Gattuso said: "With a heavy heart, having failed to achieve the goal we set ourselves, I consider my time as coach of the national team to be over.
"The Azzurri jersey is the most precious asset in football, which is why it's right to facilitate future technical evaluations right from the start.
"It has been an honour to lead the national team, and to do so with a group of players who have shown commitment and devotion to the jersey."
Sandro Tonali’s dream appointment
Working with Gattuso was thought to be a dream come true for Tonali. The Newcastle midfielder has described Gattuso as his football ‘idol’ and has drawn comparisons with the AC Milan legend for his hard-working play style.
When asked about the impact Gattuso has had on his career, Tonali said: “We met a few times and on each occasion he explained many things about himself, about football, he also gave me a lot of advice that will make a difference in the future.
“We have a good relationship, almost a friendship because it’s not a normal relationship. He scolds me even when he has to. He can be tough because he wants the best from everyone, we all know how he is. If he has a goal, he wants to reach it at any cost, giving all he can. He is a special person, a good person, a pure person, he helps you in a thousand different ways.
“He gave everything he could, from start to finish, without ever giving up, his grit was recognised by everyone. He could run non-stop, he played even when he was injured, he could play in a thousand different ways.
“He was always there, he always ran, he put his heart into everything he did. I’m happy to have met such a person, I’m happy to have met my idol and I was able to talk to him often.
“I think he was a great champion and he showed it on the pitch. There’s time for me to prove it, getting close to him would be incredible.”
Tonali had the opportunity to work with Gattuso during the World Cup qualification process and was able to establish himself as a key player in the AC Milan legend’s national team side.
The Newcastle midfielder scored a crucial goal in the win over Northern Ireland in a play-off semi-final win to set up the match against Bosnia. While Tonali was praised for his efforts in the Bosnia match, where Italy were reduced to 10-men in the first half but held on for penalties, it wasn’t enough as Bosnia won 4-1 in the shootout. Tonali was the only Italy player to convert from the spot.
Tonali got to live a dream by working closely with his football idol, but it ultimately turned into a nightmare.
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