Italian media were not impressed by Sandro Tonali’s performance against his ex-club Milan but argued the Italy international will remember the game ‘forever.’
Tonali returned to the Stadio Meazza on Tuesday to face his former club Milan in the 2023-24 Champions League opening game.
The 23-year-old received a warm welcome from his ex-fans and thanked them on social media after the final whistle.
However, his performance was not entirely convincing according to Italian newspapers. La Gazzetta dello Sport and Il Corriere dello Sport rated Tonali 5.5/10, while Tuttosport was harsher with 5/10.
La Gazzetta explained Tonali’s poor performance by saying that the Italian midfielder was still not fully fit, while Corriere and Tuttosport argued the Italian had been overwhelmed by emotions.
All sports papers added that Tonali will remember the game “forever” given that the San Siro crowd gave him a standing ovation when he was subbed off in the second half.
His former teammate Rafael Leao received even lower ratings, although UEFA awarded him the Man Of The Match on Tuesday.