Newcastle star crucified as Sandro Tonali ‘makes special arrangement’ to delight Magpies
Charlie Gordon
2 minutes
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has welcomed a confident Sandro Tonali back from international duty, while fellow Magpies midfielder Bruno Guimaraes has been forced to shoulder heavy criticism.
Guimaraes was hauled off at half-time by manager Dorival Junior on Tuesday as Brazil were beaten 1-0 by underdogs Paraguay in a World Cup qualifier. And Selecao supporters have not been overly impressed with the 26-year-old’s international performances.
Readers of Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte rated his performance against Paraguay 1.5/10, and South American football expert Tim Vickery has explained that Guimaraes is having a ‘mare’ with the national team.
Though one Newcastle midfielder is licking his wounds, Howe can count on another who is riding high. Tonali played the full 90 minutes of Italy’s Nations League wins over France and Israel over the past week.
Contrary to Guimaraes being lambasted by his national media, Tonali has been lauded for his impact after serving a 10-month suspension for betting offences. And the 24-year-old is going the extra mile to make sure his sparkling form continues.
According to The Daily Mail, Tonali specially arranged an overnight flight back to Tyneside on Monday evening directly after Italy’s 2-1 victory over Israel.
“We’ve tried to support the human rather than treating him as a footballer, first and foremost. I’ve seen enough of Sandro all these months to back his ability. I still love the player.
“He is getting care from the club. That will be a continuous thing for Sandro and communication is vital in this respect. His football career has resumed and hopefully that is a stimulus in itself to help him.”
