Tonali: Banned Italy and Newcastle midfielder reveals ‘precious’ lesson from factory visit

Italy and Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali spoke to students and young footballers in Bari on Tuesday, revealing that a recent visit to a factory made him feel lucky despite his ‘errors.’

This past October, the FIGC banned Tonali for 10 months for illegal betting, but the ex-Milan midfielder would also need to make a number of appearances to warn against the dangers of gambling addiction.

One of those came on Tuesday morning in Bari where Tonali looked ‘motivated and convinced’ in a meeting with students from the Liceo Salvemini.

“To hide behind barriers is the problem. It’s never the solution,” the Italian midfielder said during the meeting, as quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“You have to talk and get help. My real wealth is not the millionaire contracts but being surrounded by people who love me and continue to show it daily.

Tonali: Banned Italy and Newcastle midfielder reveals lesson from factory visit

“I’ve recently visited a factory and I could reflect on how many people work 10 hours a day to take a salary home,” he continued.

“I understood precious things. One above all. If a worker loses his job, the whole family pays the consequences. This is why I think I am lucky. I made errors, but I’ve lost nothing.”

Tonali also spoke to young players in Football academies Nick Bari and Levante Azzurro, discussing the differences between English and Italian football

“Football is more tiring in England, but there is less pressure. Whether you win or lose, you can still live your life. In Italy, often you can’t leave home when a game doesn’t go well. We must all grow together for the good of our football and society,” he said.

Tonali has also been given a suspended two-month ban for placing bets during his time at Newcastle United. This ban will be activated if he breaches the betting regulations again.