Sandro Tonali
Sandro Tonali (Italian pronunciation: [ˈsandro toˈnaːli]; born 8 May 2000) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Milan, on loan from Brescia, and the Italy national football team.
![]() Tonali with Italy U21 in 2019 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 8 May 2000 | ||
Place of birth | Lodi, Italy | ||
Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1] | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Milan (on loan from Brescia) | ||
Number | 8 | ||
Youth career | |||
2009–2012 | Piacenza | ||
2012–2017 | Brescia | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2017– | Brescia | 88 | (6) |
2020– | → Milan (loan) | 16 | (0) |
National team‡ | |||
2018 | Italy U19 | 12 | (0) |
2019– | Italy U21 | 6 | (0) |
2019– | Italy | 4 | (0) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:00, 30 January 2021 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11 November 2020 |
Club career
2017–2019: Serie B
Tonali made his professional debut for Brescia Calcio on 26 August 2017, aged 17, coming on as a substitute in the Serie B away match lost 2–1 against Avellino.[2] On 28 April 2018 he scored his first professional career goal, in a 4–2 defeat against Salernitana in Serie B.[3] He obtained 19 league appearances in total during his first season as a professional player, scoring two goals and providing two assists during the 2017–18 Serie B season.[4]
The following season, Tonali won the Serie B title with Brescia, and achieved promotion to Serie A, featuring as a starter for the club throughout the entire 2018–19 season.[5]
2019–2020: Serie A
He made his Serie A debut on 25 August 2019, aged 19, in a 1–0 away win against Cagliari.[6] On 29 September, he assisted Mario Balotelli's goal from a corner kick in a 2–1 away loss to Napoli; he also scored a goal during the match with a powerful shot from outside the area, which was disallowed by VAR, however, for a foul by Brescia's Dimitri Bisoli on Napoli's Nikola Maksimović.[7] He scored his first Serie A goal on 26 October, netting a long-range free kick into the top corner from the left flank, which was the opening goal in an eventual 3–1 away defeat to Genoa.[8][9]
2020–present: Loan to Milan
On 9 September 2020, Tonali joined Milan,[10][11] on a season-long loan for €10 million with an option to buy for €15 million, plus bonuses worth €10 million.[12] The player will earn a yearly wage of €2 million for five years.[12] Three days later, he made his non-competitive debut in a friendly at Milanello against his former club Brescia.[13]
International career
Youth
With the Italy U19 he took part in the 2018 European Under-19 Championship, reaching the final of the tournament lost 4–3 after extra time against Portugal.[14]
He made his debut with the Italy U21 team on 21 March 2019, in a 0–0 friendly draw against Austria in Trieste.[15] He took part in the 2019 European Under-21 Championship.[16]
Senior
In November 2018, he was called for the first time to the senior national team by manager Roberto Mancini.[17] After appearing for the Italy U21 side in a 0–0 away draw against Ireland on 10 October 2019, in a European qualifier, he was called up to the Italy senior squad once again the following day, for the team's Euro 2020 qualifiers against Greece and Liechtenstein.[18]
Tonali made his senior international debut on 15 October 2019, coming on as a substitute in the 5–0 away win against Liechtenstein in Vaduz.[19] His first start for Italy came in his following appearance on 15 November, a 3–0 away win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.[20]
Style of play
Regarded as a promising young Italian player in his position in the media, Tonali is a regista,[21] and is often likened to Andrea Pirlo – who also started his career with Brescia – in terms of his movement, coordination, appearance, technical qualities, position, and playing style.[4][5][22][23] A strong, energetic, elegant, and creative, midfielder, with excellent vision and an ability to read the game,[24] Tonali usually plays in a central or defensive midfield role as deep-lying playmaker in a 4–3–3 formation,[25][26] and shows maturity and character beyond his young age.[27] Dictating play for Brescia with his passing in midfield, he set up two goals and even scored two himself in his 19 appearances in Serie B during the 2017–18 season.[4][28][22] Although naturally right-footed, he is known for his accurate long passing ability with either foot.[24]
In addition to Pirlo, Tonali has also cited Steven Gerrard and Luka Modrić as influences, and has also compared his own playing style to that of Gennaro Gattuso.[29] In July 2019, he was named by UEFA as one of the 50 promising young players to watch for the 2019–20 season.[30]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 30 January 2021[32]
Club | Season | League | Coppa Italia | Europe | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Brescia | 2017–18 | Serie B | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 19 | 2 | |
2018–19 | Serie B | 34 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 34 | 3 | ||
2019–20 | Serie A | 35 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 36 | 1 | ||
Total | 88 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | 89 | 6 | |||
Milan (loan) | 2020–21 | Serie A | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 26 | 0 |
Career total | 104 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 115 | 6 |
- Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League qualifying round(s)
Honours
Individual
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2018[34]
- Serie B Footballer of the Year: 2018[35]
- Serie B Best Young Player: 2019[36]
- Tonali won the 2020 Italian Golden Boy Award
References
- https://www.bresciacalcio.it/team/prima-squadra/140/sandro-tonali
- "Game Report by Soccerway". Soccerway. 26 August 2017.
- Angelo Taglieri (28 April 2018). "Tonali, primo gol in carriera: Juve e Inter lo hanno già chiesto, il Milan..." (in Italian). www.calciomercato.com. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- Nikita Fesyukov (14 October 2018). "Introducing Tonali, 'the next Pirlo' wanted by Sarri and Allegri". www.calciomercato.com. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- Rahaman, Vijay (26 July 2019). "Brescia back in business". Football Italia. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- "Juventus and Milan dealt blow as Brescia will keep Tonali". www.calciomercato.com. 26 August 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- "Napoli 2 - 1 Brescia". Football Italia. 29 September 2019.
- "Juventus held to draw at Serie A struggler Lecce". TSN. 26 October 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
- "3 subs, 3 goals as Motta's Genoa debut goes to plan". The Score. 26 October 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
- "Official Statement: Sandro Tonali". A.C. Milan. 9 September 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- "Tonali ceduto a titolo temporaneo". www.bresciacalcio.it (in Italian). Retrieved 10 September 2020.
- "Mercato, Tonali al Milan: ci sono firma e annuncio". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 10 September 2020.
- https://www.milannews.it/i-tabellini/milan-brescia-3-1-il-tabellino-dell-amichevole-383779
- "Under-19 - Portugal win epic U19 EURO final". UEFA. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
- "A Trieste è pari contro l'Austria: buona la prima mezz'ora dell'Italia ma il match finisce a reti bianche". figc.it (in Italian). FIGC. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
- "Parte l'avventura europea: Di Biagio ufficializza la lista dei 23 Azzurrini". figc.it (in Italian). FIGC. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- "Nazionale di calcio: Mancini convoca Tonali, Balotelli resta fuori" (in Italian). BsNews. 9 November 2018.
- "Italy promote Tonali to seniors". Football Italia. 11 October 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
- "Historic manita in Liechtenstein". Football Italia. 15 October 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
- "Italy: Dominant display in Bosnia". Football Italia. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
- "Agent: 'Tonali better than Pirlo!'". Football Italia. 20 September 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- Angelo Taglieri (30 July 2018). "Inter, Juve e Roma avvisate: per Tonali Cellino studia un affare alla Nainggolan" (in Italian). www.calciomercato.com. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- Gian Paolo Laffranchi (5 February 2018). "Brescia al passo di Tonali in viaggio sulle orme di Pirlo" (in Italian). www.bresciaoggi.it. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- Piazzola, Andrea (30 October 2018). "Chi è Sandro Tonali, il piccoletto che studia da Pirlo" (in Italian). www.calcionews24.com. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
- Fabio Pettenò (9 July 2018). "Brescia, rifondazione in atto: cambia più di metà squadra" (in Italian). www.bresciaoggi.it. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- Alessandro Rubichini (7 September 2018). "Analisi del Singolo: Sandro Tonali del Brescia". AIAPC (in Italian). Retrieved 12 August 2020.
- "Bresciaingol - Brescia calcio - News, esclusive, diretta partita, calcio mercato, giovanili, calcio femminile". www.bresciaingol.com. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
- "Sandro Tonali" (in Italian). www.tuttocalciatori.net. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- "Brescia, Tonali: 'I am ready for the Serie A. Pirlo? I am more like Gattuso...'". www.calciomercato.com. 27 July 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
- "50 for the future: UEFA.com's ones to watch in 2019/20". UEFA.com. 30 July 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
- "Qualificazioni europee: sarà la Nazionale Under 20 ad affrontare la Repubblica d'Irlanda" (Press release) (in Italian). Italian Football Federation. 12 October 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
- "Sandro Tonali". Soccerway. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
- "Tonali, Sandro" (in Italian). FIGC. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
- "Under-19 EURO team of the tournament". UEFA. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
- "Gran Galà del calcio AIC 2018: Icardi il miglior giocatore 2017-2018. Tutti i premi" (in Italian). sport.sky.it. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
- "Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners". Football Italia. 2 December 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sandro Tonali. |
- Sandro Tonali at Soccerway
- Sandro Tonali at TuttoCalciatori.net (in Italian)
- Profile at FIGC.it (in Italian)