Interviewed by La Repubblica, former AC Milan player Sandro Tonali spoke about his life after his suspension, also making a reference to his past with the Rossoneri. Here are some of the most interesting excerpts from his interview with the newspaper.
Was the suspension decisive?
"In the first two months, I was detached from everyone. Then, as I returned to life, training every day without playing matches, I realized I was paying for what I had done."
The most emotional encounter? Tonali replied:
"In Newcastle, at a factory that produces coatings for gas pipes in the ocean. I went there because gambling is very widespread in England. Someone told me, months after my suspension: ‘I stopped betting because of what happened to you.’ They had been gambling addicts for years. An Italian worker told me that an employee earns £2,000 a month but sometimes needs to work overtime to support their family—too much money gets lost in gambling."
Do you often think about the past?
"I’ve thought about when I could have joined Inter. I never accepted it—not because they aren’t a strong team, but because I didn’t feel 100% happy. It was talked about every day. I would speak to my agent, and the doubts were huge. It felt like a mountain I didn’t want to climb. Paolo Maldini’s call changed everything; it made me happy, and I said, ‘Either I go to Milan or I stay at Brescia.’ My dad passed down this bond with Milan to me. I used to have breakfast with Gattuso’s red-and-black mug, and when it broke, I forced my mom to fix it piece by piece. When the transfer happened, I asked Rino for permission to wear his number 8 shirt."
Who is Sandro Tonali in his second life? The Italian midfielder commented:
"Someone who can talk to everyone—to those who need help and those who don’t. A more available and generous person. No longer just on the pitch."
