Sandro Tonali snubbed by AC Milan players over Newcastle United move

Since the news broke that Sandro Tonali was joining Newcastle United there has been a cloud of accusations hanging over the deal, with many (albeit mainly AC Milan fans) claiming the midfielder didn’t want to come to Tyneside and is upset about the move.

Accusations Newcastle United fans don’t believe for a second.

But the circumstances around Tonali’s exit were difficult. Just today the 23-year-old told the Italian media the move was “The most difficult choice of my career but one which had to be made now.

“Milan welcomed me like a son and I will be thankful to them for the rest of my life, I will never forget it. I love all my teammates, I will always be their fan because they are golden people. It was a choice I had to make and I made it at the right time.”

Tonali also spoke of his AC Milan teammates’ reactions, in particular Rafael Leao:“I spoke to Rafa before the news and it’s normal that they didn’t expect this sort of thing, but as intelligent people they understood and he himself wishes me all the best.”

But not all of Tonali’s ex-teammates seem to be as understanding- it appears a few of them have snubbed him on social media.

Olivier Giroud and Theo Hernandez have unfollowed the midfielder on Instagram, a fact some AC Milan fans are relishing.

Slight bitterness, maybe? One such fan tweeted: ‘Neither Giroud nor Theo follow Tonali on Instagram. It may seem silly to many, but for me it speaks well of them and their commitment to the club. Every time a player leaves Milan, I stop following him. (less legends) That you don’t play for Milan? I do not care about you.’

Harsh towards a footballer who is emotionally processing his exit from his boyhood club. A club he loves.

As Tonali said himself on landing back on Italian soil: “ I hope one day to be able to return to Milan and see the fans smiling.”