The AC Milan supporters showed their appreciation for one Newcastle United player during their Champions League clash on Tuesday night.
It was not Nick Pope, whose incredible saves robbed the Serie A side of victory against the Magpies, nor was it Sean Longstaff, whose late effort nearly handed Eddie Howe’s side a dramatic Champions League win.
Instead, it was Sandro Tonali who was showered with adulation on his return to the San Siro.
The 23-year-old started for Newcastle against his former club, returning to the starting lineup after missing the Premier League win over Brentford.
The midfielder struggled to have a major impact on proceedings, but Howe was happy with what he saw from the £55million summer signing and admitted that he should be ‘proud‘ of his performance against his former employers.
Before the game, it was expected that Tonali would get a warm reception from the home fans. That proved to be the case, with the Italy international applauded throughout the warmup. He then received a standing ovation when he was substituted in the second half.
It was a classy gesture from the AC Milan fans inside the San Siro, and Rossoneri striker Olivier Giroud was happy to see his former teammate welcomed back with open arms.
Olivier Giroud delighted with the ovation Sandro Tonali got from AC Milan fans
After the game, Giroud spoke to Milan TV about Tonali returning to the San Siro with Newcastle.
“Tonali? Very happy to see him,” he said.
“I saw him at Milanello with the national team and I am very happy for him.
“He received a wonderful welcome. For me, Milan is a great club because the fans don’t forget the players who have done so much for the club.
“It was a good evening for him, we wanted to win but I’m happy for Sandro.”
Tonali will want to have the same impact at Newcastle
As Giroud says, Tonali got the reception he got because he did so much for AC Milan during his time there. The fans did not forget, refusing to turn their back on him after he decided to join Newcastle during the summer transfer window.
Now Tonali is a Magpie, and will hope to have the same kind of impact in black and white. That is the hope, with Toon officials believing he can become one of the Premier League’s most dominant midfielders.
That will take some time, but there is hope that his adaptation to life in England will now speed up thanks to the use of a translator. Eddie Howe had previously opted against using an interpreter, but has now changed his mind.
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