Former Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali has come under heavy criticism from the Italian media following his disappointing performance in Italy’s Nations League defeat to Belgium.
The 26-year-old completed a reported £100million move to Tottenham Hotspur during the summer, but his difficult start in north London has continued on the international stage.
Tonali started for Italy against Belgium, but it was Kevin De Bruyne who emerged as the midfield standout. Goals from Mika Godts and Dodi Lukebakio secured victory for Belgium, while La Gazzetta Dello Sport criticised Tonali for failing to make his presence felt, accusing him of “retreating to the sidelines” when Italy needed him.
With Italy’s previous golden generation now a thing of the past, Tonali has increasingly been viewed as one of the key figures in the national team. However, that status has brought greater scrutiny. He was also criticised during Italy’s World Cup qualification failure, with questions raised over whether he showed enough energy and tactical awareness to help his country progress against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Those concerns resurfaced against Belgium, with reports suggesting that both Tonali and Tottenham are currently experiencing a difficult period. The midfielder was described as being “comprehensively outplayed” by De Bruyne at the Stadio Olimpico.
Italian football figures have now challenged Tonali to show the qualities they believe he possesses, asking whether he can finally produce the kind of influential performance expected from one of Italy’s most important midfielders.
The pressure will remain on Tonali during Italy’s upcoming Nations League fixtures against Türkiye twice and France.
At Newcastle, Tonali benefited from playing alongside strong personalities such as Brazilian midfielders Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes, with their presence helping him perform at his best. Guimaraes also left St James’ Park during the summer, completing a £75million transfer to Arsenal.
Newcastle have since strengthened their midfield by bringing in Nico Gonzalez from Manchester City, while young talents Aladji Bamba and Sean Steur have also joined the club.
At Tottenham, however, Tonali’s huge transfer fee has inevitably increased expectations. So far, he has struggled to meet them, with Spurs still searching for their first Premier League victory and only finding the net for the first time in the competition during last weekend’s 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa.
Newcastle also defeated Tottenham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier in the season, with Tonali again failing to make the desired impact.
Newcastle boss Matthias Jaissle has nevertheless made a promising start since replacing Eddie Howe. His side currently sit ninth after recording two wins, one draw and one defeat, although the heavy 4-1 loss at Leeds United remains a setback. They responded by beating Hull City 2-1 before the extended international break.
For Tonali and Tottenham, attention now turns to their trip to Manchester United as they look to revive their Premier League campaign.
