Sandro Tonali tells all on ‘negative’ and ‘closed off’ life following Newcastle United rebirth
Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali has opened up on his gambling addiction which led to a 10-month suspension in an extremely open interview.
Having been suspended for 10 months in 2023, he returned to action in August and has been a regular feature in Eddie Howe’s side with 31 appearances, scoring three times. He also started in all six of Italy’s UEFA Nations League games as well.
Tonali faced strong criticism at the time but having served his ban, he has been welcomed back into the football world and has been a consistently high-performing figure in the 2024-25 campaign as Newcastle push for European football.
In an exclusive interview with La Repubblica, he revealed how he couldn’t take any medication as 95% of the potential prescriptions would likely result in an anti-doping ban, meaning his healing journey involved an intense mental recovery.
“No, it’s not an exaggeration to talk about a first and a second life,” Tonali told La Repubblica, during an in-depth interview. “My lifestyle was negative.
“It was closed off to everyone and this made me change my behaviour, even with the people I love and who love me. Today, fortunately, I’m different.
“It was a difficult recovery process. I couldn’t take specific drugs because I would have tested positive for doping with 95 per cent of them, so it was all a mental process: it lasted months, with a psychologist and a psychiatrist.
“In the first two months I was cut off from everyone, then as I returned to life, training every day without having the game, I realised that I was paying for what I had done.
He also spoke in great detail about his ‘negative lifestyle’ and addictions which dated back to the ages of ’17 and 18′.
“It became a habit at 17-18 years old. The fact that it was online obscured everything, I closed myself off in a shell.
“I don’t think I felt like I ever had (an addiction). When you find yourself in a situation like that, it’s difficult to ask yourself if you’re sick. You’ll always say no, even if that is not the case. You can’t feel like there is a problem, so you tend to hide it.”
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Manchester City eye potential Tonali move
Late January saw links with Tonali and Manchester City with Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio claiming he may leave this summer.
Real Madrid, City and even a potential return to Serie A could all be on the cards this summer and with potential PSR pitfalls to consider, Tonali’s exit may be easier to stomach than the likes of Alexander Isak or Bruno Guimaraes.
Those previous links have coincided with the latest claims from the Telegraph that Man City are targeting a ‘number eight’ to bolster their midfield, especially with the uncertainty over Kevin De Bruyne’s future with the Belgian out of contract this summer.
Having already signed Nico Gonzalez and with the club poised to welcome back Rodri in the future, they are hoping a midfield addition in a slightly more advanced position can help breathe fresh life in Pep Guardiola’s side – and Tonali is seen as one option.
