Tonali reveals he rejected Inter and that Maldini’s call ‘changed everything’ | OneFootball

Sandro Tonali has revealed that he had the chance to join Inter but turned it down, and then the call arrived from AC Milan which he had been waiting for.

Tonali’s arrival from Brescia was one that was greeted with huge excitement given his status as one of the best midfield talents Italy had produced in some time and the fact that he was a boyhood fan of Milan.

The couple of years he spent with the Rossoneri were certainly positive too as his performances grew and he scored some crucial goals in the 2021-22 Scudetto season. Then, the decision was made to sell him to Newcastle in 2023, when a huge offer came in.

Tonali is back on the field after serving a ban for breaking betting rules, and he spoke to La Repubblica (via MilanNews) about a number of topics, including his favourite games and what it was like to get a call from Paolo Maldini.

What was the ban like?

“In the first two months I was detached from everyone, then returning to life, training every day without having the match, I understood that I was paying for what I had done.”

Your most emotional encounter?

“In Newcastle, in a factory that produces covers for gas pipes in the ocean. I went there because gambling is very widespread in England. There was someone who told me, several months after the disqualification: ‘I stopped betting because of what happened to you’.

“They had been compulsive gamblers for years. An Italian told me that an employee earns 2,000 pounds a month, but sometimes needs to work overtime to support his family: he throws too much money away on gambling.”

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Do you often think about the past?

“I happened to think about when I could have gone to Inter. I never accepted, not because it’s not a strong team, but I didn’t consider myself 100% happy. Every day we talked about it. I spoke to my agent and the doubts were huge.

“I didn’t want to climb the mountain. 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 it on to me, this bond with Milan.

“I had breakfast with Gattuso’s red and black cup and when it broke I forced my mum to fix it piece by piece. When the transfer came to fruition, I asked Rino for permission to wear his No.8.”

Who is Tonali in his second life?

“Someone who can talk to everyone: those who need help and those who don’t. A more available and generous person. No longer alone on the pitch.”