The young and promising midfielder was about to join Inter, but at the last minute fulfilled a childhood dream and signed with a team he grew up with from age zero • Tonight, against Shamrock Rovers in the Europa League qualifiers, he will make his official debut in the Rossoneri uniform
Tonal with the uniform he dreamed of wearing from a young age
Photo:
Twitter
Many players swear that signing for Team X is a dream come true for them, as did Sandro Tonali when he completed the move from Brescia to AC Milan on loan with a purchase option.
But unlike all those who do it just to get out of duty, the 20-year-old has conclusive evidence that goes back a decade.
In a letter pulled from one of the drawers in his house, 10-year-old Tonali addresses Santa Lucia and explains to him his dreams and aspirations.
"I want a PlayStation and FIFA and also the full Milan outfit - a shirt, pants and socks." Finally he wrote: "Can you make me a footballer one day?".
So he became a footballer three years ago, when he made his debut in Brescia, but the big dream has always been to be a Milan footballer.
Tonali, who was born in Lodi in the Lombardy region, grew up in a Rossoneri family and Wink gave birth to his love for the group.
The walls of his room were always covered with stars in red and black, and when he closed his eyes at night he would dream of San Siro.
More precisely, on his right side.
According to reports, this summer he was very close to moving to Inter, but once Milan came into the picture, the story was over for him;
"As soon as I realized it was a possibility - I closed all the other doors," he said at the press conference.
Gattuso. Approved Tonali to take the number 8 // Photo: EP
Tonali was so purposeful that his agent hid the negotiations with Inter and Brescia president Massimo Cellino did not intervene; "I asked everyone to make this effort for me, and thanks to them it happened." Excited Tonali did not even wait for an official club announcement, And announced himself on Instagram, with a photo of himself in a Milan shirt when he was 10, about the move to a new team.
It is not customary to make such a move, and suffice it to ask this generation about the consequences that can have for a picture with a shirt of a team you have not yet signed, but in terms of tonality there is no other destination for it in this world.
He grew up on Milan, on the players, so he called Gennaro Gattuso - now the coach of Naples - to ask him for permission to wear the number 8. Gattuso of course confirmed and sent a greeting of success, and so does anyone associated with the club.
Tonal in Brescia uniform. "Contribute to Milan in the future" // Photo: Gettyimages
Technical director Paolo Maldini said that "Tonali can not only embrace Milan's values but also contribute greatly to its future success."
CEO Ivan Gazidis added: "This is one of the most promising players in world football, and we know how much love he has for this club." Beyond love, Milan know they have a football diamond in hand. With 90 appearances in the Brescia uniform, three in the Italian national team and comparisons to Andrea Pirlo , Tonal expectations are particularly high.
The 20-year-old midfielder has already made his debut in the Milan uniform, in a warm-up match on Saturday against Brescia, but tonight he is expected to make his official debut in the Europa League qualifiers.
While it will happen in front of Shamrock Rovers, in Dublin, and without a crowd, but it will happen alongside Zlatan, Cannes Chelanolo, and most importantly: with the red-and-black shirt and as a Milan player.
