Sandro Tonali in tackle on Novak Djokovic

Sandro Tonali on Novak Djokovic

Reached by La Repubblica, Sandro Tonali said, “I was missing the 1 percent that made me stay inside the group. Pioli hammered me on the job, I have to give him credit, I had been through a difficult year and we did as if it wasn’t there. Holding on is not just a trait of mine, it is a necessary skill in soccer. Without determination, without a desire for redemption, you can’t break through.”

The Rossoneri midfielder then had his say on the Novak Djokovic case, who was ejected from Australia: “I followed little, but I understood that it is difficult to play competitive sports or do certain types of work, without proper precautions.”

Tonali closed by talking about Zlatan Ibrahimovic: “Having him in the locker room is a very strong emotion: in a moment you go from fan to teammate, two completely different things. You have to know how to manage and separate them, at the beginning you remain open-mouthed and you risk deconcentrating. I managed it after the first month.”