Newcastle's gamechanger: 'Magnificent' Tonali hailed after betting ban return

Tom Weber

• Updated: 7 Sept 2024 11:06 BST
• 4 min read

Sandro Tonali has been hailed for his first international performance in almost a year.

The Newcastle United midfielder returned to action domestically in late August against Nottingham Forest after a 10-month suspension from football due to illicit betting.

Italy's most expensive export kept himself fit over the duration of his spell on the sidelines and this was enough to convince national team boss Luciano Spalletti to not only call him up for his country's Nations League games but to even start him against France.

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On Friday evening, the Azzurri went to the Parc des Princes in Paris in what quickly turned into a historic game for many reasons. After conceding the fastest goal in their illustrious history when Bradley Barcola opened the scoring in the first minute, the Italians found their feet and soon took the game to the French.

Tonali stars against Mbappe and company

Federico Dimarco, Davide Frattesi and Giacomo Raspadori made sure that the Italians left the French capital with three points and their first-ever victory at the Parc des Princes.

France's star forward Kylian Mbappe has faced an inquest in the French media after his lacklustre showing and the Italian midfield played a key role in keeping him quiet.

READ MORE: 'Unfit and disillusioned' Mbappe risks France wrath after Italy no-show

Tonali got the nod to start and looked like he hadn't missed a step despite last playing for Italy in September 2023. The 24-year-old added the kind of bite and progressive passing the Azzurri sorely lacked at Euro 2024 and was hailed for his outing after the match.

“His performance was magnificent," Spalletti said. "We were afraid he wouldn’t have 90 minutes in his legs, but in the last five minutes, he sprinted down the flank and went clear on goal by himself. We have rediscovered a fantastic player.”

His unbelievable assist for Dimarco's goal was the icing on the cake. If Tonali can keep up this level of performance, he can become the kind of game-changer Newcastle thought they bought when they splashed up to €70m on him last year.

He struggled to have an impact at St. James' Park before his ban, but his performance on Friday was very encouraging indeed.