Tree species
On Saturday morning, I saw this headline from Sky Sports pop up online: ‘Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali: Cup win is best feeling in the world | Italian coy on exit rumours: I don’t use my phone!’
Obviously, the ‘Italian coy on exit rumours’ caught my attention in particular.
I went and had a look and Sky Sports had interviewed Sandro Tonali ahead of Saturday’s victory parade and Town Moor event.
Keith Downie covers Newcastle United for Sky Sports and he was down on Longsands beach at Tynemouth with the Italy international.
Sandro Tonali saying how brilliant the win at Wembley had been and how much he loves and respects the Newcastle United fans, how the NUFC fanbase is one of the best in the world. How the big difference in that cup final was, that unlike Liverpool fans, the Newcastle United fans would have fully supported their team, whether the team won or lost.
As for the ‘Italian coy on exit rumours’ bit, this is what was asked in the Sky Sports interview and what Sandro Tonali actually answered with…
Keith Downie:
“There has been a lot in the last couple of weeks, linking you with moves elsewhere.
“Does that bother you?
“Does that frustrate you?
“Are you able to concentrate away from that?”
Sandro Tonali:
“No [it doesn’t bother me], because, last season as well, I don’t use my phone a lot.
“I use it only for my family, not for the social media.
“I have social media but I use maybe after a game, for the game, not the transfer rumours.
“Just [using my phone] for my family.”
I am in no way blaming Keith Downie on this, he does the interviewing but when it comes to writing the Sky Sports headlines, that is somebody else’s job.
So on the ‘Italian coy on exit rumours’ headline, do the actual Sandro Tonali comments actually square off with that, or is it totally misleading?
Watching the interview video, Sandro Tonali clearly isn’t in any way giving these daft media transfer speculation stories any credibility whatsoever, he isn’t being ‘coy’, Tonali is clearly totally disinterested when asked this question. Very much along the lines of, why are you even asking this? Sandro Tonali totally dismissive of the whole pathetic media in how they go on with the made up stories, how he doesn’t even look at the nonsense online. Instead, just getting on with doing the best possible for Newcastle United and the fans, plus of course concentrating on his family life.
The never ending Sandro Tonali rumours are just the same nonsense repeated over and over again. The Italian media cynically putting out that same nonsense time after time claiming Tonali wants to come back to Serie A (plus of course now as he plays better and better, the media then adding random top clubs in other countries as well, such as PSG and Barcelona), simply because they know the Italian football fans will lap it up, desperate for one of their nation’s very best young players to play in his home country. Very few of their best homegrown players ever leave at such a young age. These transfer claims even more embarrassing when whilst they will talk about how superb Sandro Tonalo has been for Newcastle United (and Italy) this season after his suspension ended, they will at the same time claim an Italian club, usually AC Milan they reckon, will be able to buy him back for what he cost (£55m) Newcastle United two years ago, or even for less than that!
Also totally ignoring the fact that in interview after interview Sandro Tonali says how much he lives playing for NUFC, how grateful he is to the club and fans for their support during his suspension, how he is desperate to repay them. Plus as well, the fact is that no Italian club could afford Sandro Tonali now, the wages plus a transfer valuation now closer to double the £55m that he cost Newcastle United. Then of course the small matter of Tonali now arguably only behind Isak in terms of importance to the team and the levels he is playing at.