Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali will be directly affected by some big news, which could mean great things for his career.
After returning from his 10-month ban, the Italian has been one of Eddie Howe’s best players of the season. His move into a deeper midfield role has completely transformed the way Newcastle United play for the better.
Sandro Tonali was one of Newcastle’s big winners this season, having fought adversity to return with a positive mindset and bring glory back to Tyneside. Tonali was sensational in the Carabao Cup final, helping Newcastle win their first major trophy since 1969.
Following that, the 25-year-old played his part in Newcastle’s push for Champions League qualification and was able to celebrate on the St James’ Park turf when it was confirmed that the Magpies would be playing in Europe’s top competition next season.
While Tonali will be focused on preparing himself for Newcastle’s busy 2025/26 campaign, news regarding his national team has just emerged that he will absolutely love.
Sandro Tonali’s idol Genarro Gattuso to become Italy manager
Tonali played for Italy in a 3-0 defeat to Norway last week. A performance that saw head coach Luciano Spalletti confirm that he was going to be sacked.
Despite that news, Tonali starred as Italy beat Moldova 2-0 a few days later. Since then, the Italian FA have been searching for Spalletti’s successor, and appears to have finally them it in AC Milan legend Gennaro Gattuso.
The 47-year-old managed Milan between 2017 and 2019, meaning he left around a year before Tonali joined. However, the Newcastle man’s dreams can finally come true after reports from SportItalia confirming that Gattuso was part of a summit alongside legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
It looks like Gattuso will be the man in charge, and that news will be a delight to Tonali, who idolises the midfielder.
Speaking about Gattuso in March, Tonali said: “What impact has Gattuso had on my career? 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.”
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Gennaro Gattuso’s influence on Sandro Tonali is felt at Newcastle United
Based on his past interviews, Gatusso joining the Italian national team could be box office for a neutral fan. His explosive demeanour and passion for the game will be something Italy fans will have to get used to for the future, but something Tonali will be fully prepared to embrace.
Tonali has previously stated how he looks to Gatusso as a father. He may even say the same for Howe, who kept a close eye on him during his ban.
In a 2020 report from cultofcalcio, it was revealed that Tonali personally asked Gatusso whether he could use his prized number 8 shirt when he signed for Milan, a request with which the legend was happy to oblige.
Now at Newcastle, Tonali took the same shirt number upon signing in 2023, showing that Gatusso’s influence is still with him on Tyneside.
It now seems certain that Tonali has a big future for the Italian national team with Gattuso in charge, which can only mean good things for his career.
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