When it comes to modern-day defensive midfielders, Sandro Tonali stands out. The son of Mariarosa and Giandomenico, Tonali is a complete footballer who sets the tone on the field. Beyond his movement, power, speed, mentality, and ability to both defend and attack, there’s much more to his story. Let’s dive into the lesser-known aspects of this Italian footballer’s life.
This is the story of a grandmother’s boy who was initially rejected by AC Milan because the club didn’t see him as someone with standout technical skills. We’ll explore how Sandro Tonali dealt with that disappointment and, more importantly, how he proved the club wrong—leading to his eventual signing by the Italian giants years later.
Again, this article on Sandro Tonali’s biography goes beyond his career stats to delve into his childhood story, early years in football, and the unwavering support from his parents, Mariarosa and Giandomenico Tonali. It explores his rich football family background and the close bond he shares with his siblings, Enrico and Matilde.
Additionally, this article reveals details about Sandro Tonali’s love life with his future wife, Juliette Pastore, his remarkable lifestyle, and his personal life away from the pitch. Now, let’s dive into the heart of Tonali’s story.
Preamble:
Let’s start Sandro Tonali’s story from his childhood and follow it through to his rise to fame in the world of football. To give you a visual taste of his engaging biography, we’ve created a gallery showcasing his early life and career ascent. This gallery offers a perfect snapshot of Tonali’s life journey.
Sandro Tonali Biography. Behold his Early Life and Success Story.
Yes, everyone knows Tonali has that Andrea Pirlo look and long hair aesthetics. More so, he is like Manuel Ugarte, who is best suited to the deepest midfield slot – the same as the Legendary Pirlo during his active career years. Despite the great things he is doing in football, we notice that not many fans have read a concise piece of Sandro Tonali’s Biography. So we have taken a step further to prepare it – because of you and our love for football. Now, without further ado, let’s begin.
Sandro Tonali Childhood Story:
To begin his biography, Sandro Tonali is known by three nicknames: Tino, the new Pirlo, and the Italian Golden Boy. He was born on May 8, 2000, to his parents Mariarosa and Giandomenico Tonali, in Lodi, Italy.
Ideally, his birthplace (Lodi) was earlier not meant to be Tonali’s place of birth. Sandro Tonali’s parents, months before he was born, reconsidered. This is because the hospital they had chosen for his birth – in Sant’Angelo Lodigiano – had its Maternity ward dismantled.
The talented, deep-lying playmaker came to the world as the last-born child of his family – the baby of the house. Sandro is one among three children (a brother and a sister) – both older siblings – born of the union between his parents.
Meet Sandro Tonali’s parents – his look-alike mother (Mariarosa Tonali) and handsome father (Giandomenico Tonali).
As the youngest child of his lovely parents – Mariarosa and Giandomenico -little Sandro was often babied but never spoiled.
Truth be told, he was a very handsome boy in his childhood, a typical charmer who, from a very young age, knew what he wanted in life.
Early Life and Growing-Up Years:
Sandro spent his early childhood days in Sant’Angelo Lodigiano, alongside his older siblings. His Elder Brother bears the name Enrico, while his older sister’s name is Matilde.
As a child, Sandro Tonali was very attached to his relatives – especially his maternal grandmother, Nonna Biagina.
Did you know?… She was the one who named him Sandro in memory of the boy’s maternal grandfather (Nonna Biagina’s husband).
Similar to Manuel Locatelli, he had a very religious upbringing. Sandro Tonali, like Wilfried Gnonto, spent a vital part of his boyhood years in an oratory, a small chapel close to his family home. The proximity between this Catholic place of worship and a football field changed his destiny.
The childhood days of Sandro Tonali.
Sandro Tonali Family Background:
The Italian footballer hails from a middle-class household whose members (Uncles, Aunts, Grandparents, parents, siblings) are tight-knit. When it comes to the best of career support, Sandro Tonali gets it the most – from this set of people.
In the stands are Sandro Tonali’s parents, his brother, sister, uncle and grandmother applauding him. What a United Family.
In the photo above, the midfielder had huge family support in a match he played in the United States.
Sandro Tonali’s parents (Mariarosa and Giandomenico), brother (Enrico), sister (Matilde), Uncle (Agostino), and Grandmum (Nonna Biagina ) all took the plane for him.
Family Origin:
Sandro Tonali is a Sant’Angelo Lodigiano native, and he has Italian nationality. Where he comes from, Sant’Angelo Lodigiano, is a small Italian town of around 13,046 people. It is located in the Province of Lodi, (4.3 km) from Milan.
From an ethnic perspective, Sandro Tonali’s family members are native Italians. The image below shows Lodi, the place of his ancestry, and the city of northern Italy.
This map explains Sandro Tonali’s Family Origin.
Lodi, where his parents come from, is situated in Italy’s Lombardy region. In early 2020, this region was greatly affected by COVID-19 in Europe.
Lombardy is the reason Italy implemented a nationwide lockdown and why the WHO declared the virus a pandemic.
Education:
Sandro Tonali attended a school attached to the small chapel his family attends.
This school is close to his family’s home in Sant’Angelo Lodigiano. Early on, Sandro did put his education and his love for sports on the same level.
In a documentary video, Sandro Tonali’s school teacher said he never came to class with an excuse – about not having done his homework.
Sandro Tonali Football Story – Early Life at the Academy:
Early on, destiny set itself for the boy. Where Sandro Tonali’s family went for prayers (the oratory) was in front of the kindergarten he attended.
That area had a football field where he started his career. In that field, it was easy for young Sandro to hone his soccer skills.
This is the Football field where Sandro Tonali first played his football. This field – close to his family home, church and school – defined his destiny.
The Role of Sandro Tonali’s Grandmother (Nonna Biagina) in his Early Football Life:
From the age of five, the youngster began taking part in training with “San Rocco 80”, a team that belongs to the oratory near his school.
Among members of Tonali’s family, one particular person made it her duty to stay with the boy – throughout his foundational years.
Sandro Tonali’s grandmother (Gina) took it upon herself to watch her grandson while he played soccer. In fact, she overly raised and pampered him like she was his real mother.
It was Gina’s words that became the reason Sandro agreed to become a footballer.
About the Sandro Tonali Cup:
Aside from his grandmother, something else fueled Sandro’s passion for football. That thing is a Tea Mug covered with images of his first idol, Gennaro Gattuso.
As a child, Sandro got addicted to using ONLY THIS TEACUP, as no other cups in his family home mattered.
Sandro Tonali’s grandmother (Gina) has kept this Cup (for years) in the Tonali family museum. As a child, little Sandro preferred to use his favourite Gatusso cup OR NOTHING ELSE.
Day in and day out, the youngster would have his breakfast with this cup. Sadly, once upon a time, on a very bad day, little Sandro had his cup broken – as it fell to the ground.
The boy forced his mother to glue it, and later, Mariarosa bought another cup to make him happy.
Sandro Tonali Football Story:
As a die-hard lover of Gennaro Gattuso, the youngster did anything that could see him fraternize with the AC Milan jersey. One of such includes writing letters where he requested Rossoneri suits.
In this particular letter, Sandro Tonali requested a Rossoneri suit for himself, as well as an original or even tarot t-shirt for his uncle (Agostino Crivellari), who supports Inter Milan.
This letter to Santa Lucia was laminated and kept by Nonna Biagina, his grandmother.
Sandro Tonali’s Early Life with Academy Football:
The youngster’s football skill got noticed by the local priest of San Rocco, as he played football outside the oratory. In fact, this was how Sandro Tonali looked like – at that time.
A toothless but smiling boy we pictured here, showing off his San Rocco 80 shirt.
This is the first football jersey Sandro Tonali wore for his first club – San Rocco 80.
Sandro’s life at the academy was awesome. Ironically, it was a Catholic Priest who recognized and took action on Tonali’s talent. This Priest immediately knew Sandro deserved a better academy than San Rocco.
So, he pushed so the boy would leave for a better football school.
Sandro is too good to be here … declared the priest of “San Rocco”
Giving his advice to Sandro Tonali’s parents, the priest insisted his Dad and Mum should look on the internet for good academies in the Milan area.
Thankfully, Mariarosa and Giandomenico found one, an academy that wears the AC Milan shirts.
Sandro Tonali Lombardia Uno Story:
This academy, Mariarosa and Giandomenico (his Mum and Dad) found, is an AC Milan satellite club.
A happy Tonali fell even more in love with Lombardia Uno because the club’s management allowed their kids to wear the AC Milan shirt – which he loved wearing.
Sandro Tonali Early Years in career football.
Sandro had an easy start to life at Lombardia Uno. Back then, it was still his Grandmum and Mum who took him and waited throughout training.
Sometimes, Nonna Biagina and Mariarosa would alternate with a family friend who had a goalkeeper son at Lombardia Uno.
That boy’s name is Andrea Ferrari, and he prides himself on being Tonali’s best friend. Their parents are quite close.
Sandro and Andrea never allowed each other to wander in the dark alone. They played together since their kindergarten ages.
Tonali with the Lombardia Uno uniform in the company of his companion and friend Andrea Ferrari.
Luciano Esposito, the coach at Lombardia Uno, could not believe his eyes when he first saw Sandro display his skills for the first time.
With the boy’s brilliance on the pitch, there came this belief that his future as a professional was guaranteed.
His first moment on the Lombardia Uno pitch was unbelievable. Sandro outclassed everyone.
A Humble Boy – outside Football:
Here is a documentary about Sandro Tonali’s Life while at Lombardia Uno. He was a very talented kid from a good family background, well trained by his Parents and Grandmum.
Outside the pitch, when the kids of Lombardia Uno go for field excursions, little Sandro remains well-behaved. He was very kind to other kids, with so much maturity at his young age.
In fact, everyone labelled the youngster as someone with a unique personality off the pitch.
The Road to Fame Story:
In Lombardia Uno, the difference between him and other boys was his gameplay and the maturity he had at that age. The serenity and tranquillity of his gameplay were among the things that made him extra-special.
As a child, Sandro scored not ten, or twenty, but a barrage of goals. One of his teammates (Matteo Paron) recalled Tonali’s goal-scoring ability… saying,
I remember one of the first years, he managed to score a hundred goals – all in just one year.
Tonali won the award for best player and scorer in almost every tournament.
The AC Milan Rejection Story:
At first, there were opportunities for Sandro to transfer to Inter Milan, his uncle’s football club.
Unfortunately, the Nerazzurri later disapproved of his transfer. AC Milan, on the other hand, did call Sandro for trials at the Vismara Sports Center.
Unfortunately, Sandro Tonali was among the children who got evaluated but didn’t get selected. It was a true moment of pain for the boy – as only his parents, siblings, uncle and grandmamma could console him well.
On the reason AC Milan rejected him, we gathered that the club didn’t see Sandro as someone very strong in one-on-one. Also, they didn’t fancy him as someone who could stand out technically.
Moving on after AC Milan’s Rejection:
It was hard to cope with not getting accepted, especially by a football club he had supported since childhood. Sandro Tonali’s parents quickly found ways to amend their son’s broken heart and moved on.
As one door closed, another opened for Sandro. First, a football academy named Piacenza accepted him. After spending two years (2009–2012) there, Brescia called him for trials at the age of 12. Lucky Sandro passed, and he was well integrated into their academy setup.
Behold the youngster in Brescia colours.
At Brescia, Tonali had so much success with the lower categories, having the particularity of an understanding the game – even more advanced than the rest of footballers of his age. This was the academy that finally graduated him to become a professional footballer.
Sandro Tonali Biography – The Success Story:
At 17, in August 2017, Sandro Tonali made his professional debut for Brescia Calcio in Serie B. He had a strong start that season, quickly making an impact with goals and assists.
The following season, Tonali became an undisputed starter for the club. The fast-rising star helped Brescia put up a fight for the Serie B championship that 2018–19 season.
Thankfully, his Brescia won the trophy and got promoted to Serie A. Tonali joins the likes of Ismael Bennacer, who is also a proud winner of the Serie B title.
This picture is the major highlight of Sandro Tonali’s History with Breccia.
Achieving such a great feat with Brescia earned Sandro Tonali three individual awards. They include; the UEFA European Under-19 Championship Team of the Tournament, Serie B Footballer of the Year and Serie B Best Young Player.
Life with the Serie A:
Aged 19, in a 1–0 away win, Sandro Tonali made his full Serie A debut. A month after that (25 August 2019), he assisted the almighty Mario Balotelli in a goal against Napoli.
Sandro’s first Serie A goal came through a long-range free-kick against Genoa. That goal, alongside his technical brilliance throughout the season, earned him the prestigious 2020 Italian Golden Boy Award.
On 8 July 2021, Milan officially did the needful by purchasing his rights from Brescia – in a 5-year contract. This was when the boy finally saw his childhood coming true – joining AC Milan.
At the time of writing Sandro Tonali’s Biography, we view the promising young Italian midfielder as a replica of both Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso. He is a strong, elegant, and creative midfielder with excellent vision and a superb ability to read the game.
Talk about cool, calm and collected…. that is Sandro Tonali in a nutshell.
Right in front of our very eyes, we are on the verge of seeing an Italian midfielder who will be a future replacement for Marco Veratti and Jorginho. The rest of his Biography, as we say, is history.
Who is Juliette Pastore? Sandro Tonali Lover:
The Baller tipped to be among the hottest and most handsome Italian Male footballers is not single.
There is a beautiful woman in his life, and she goes by the name – Juliette Pastore. Behold the lady Sandro Tonali calls his Girlfriend and wife-to-be.
There are conflicting reports about the name of Sandro Tonali’s girlfriend – with some blogs stating her name as Giulia Pastore.
However, judging by her Instagram Biography, we prefer to call her Juliette Pastore. That seems to be the name her parents gave her.
According to research, Sandro Tonali’s girlfriend – Juliette Pastore – was born on the 24th day of March 2000.
By implication, she is just six weeks older than her boyfriend. This was how Juliette Pastore celebrated her 20 years birthday – in front of friends and family.
Judging from the time of their first public appearance, Juliette Pastore and Sandro Tonali are known to have begun dating in March 2020. This means both lovers began their relationship before he joined AC Milan.
The public display of affection by Juliette Pastore and Sandro Tonali escapes the scrutiny of the public eye simply because their love life is drama-free.
Judging by the way they are enjoying each other’s company, we are sure Giulia and Sandro would get married someday.
Sincerely, we hope Sandro Tonali and Juliette Pastore become husband and wife.
Personal Life:
For an Italian celebrity who has played football throughout his life, you may be tempted to ask what he does outside the pitch. In other words… Who is Sandro Tonali?
Who is Sandro Tonali? Here, we explain his PERSONAL LIFE – away from football.
First things first, he is someone who feels very comfortable with nature – especially at the seaside. Judging by his facial looks, you can tell that he is a cool, calm and collected figure.
Away from football, Sandro Tonali often loves to find himself in the right places. Thanks to his humble beginnings, he never gets into trouble and knows the ingredients of living a happy life. In summary, the Italian midfielder is a super cool guy who loves to display humbleness amidst the flamboyancy of modern-day football.
Sandro Tonali Lifestyle:
Taking a break from football to cool off at faraway seaside resorts evokes vivid memories that lift Sandro’s mood and make him feel happier. Spending this sort of moment with his girlfriend, Juliette Pastore provides him with that ultimate seaside lifestyle he dreams of.
Sandro Tonali Lifestyle – EXPLAINED.
The good-looking footballer lives an organized life, one devoid of irrational spending on things like flashy cars, big mansions, etc. Sandro never gives money too much thought. Rather, he prefers to spend it on having exotic vacations with his girlfriend, Juliette Pastore.
Life at the seaside is NEVER COMPLETE without his wife-to-be, Juliette Pastore, by his side.
Sandro Tonali Family Life:
That big day! the 8th of July 2021, will go down in history as the day a childhood dream came to pass. Together with his beloved family and relatives, Sandro celebrated the day he finally joined the club of his dreams.
Sandro Tonali Family celebrated with him – on his AC Milan welcoming.
In this section, we’ll tell you more about Sandro Tonali’s parents as well as other members of his household.
About Sandro Tonali Father:
About Giandomenico Tonali – Sandro Tonali’s Dad.
Giandomenico is his name, and he is best known as a simple man who has ensured his footballing son takes a healthy growth path.
Sandro Tonali Dad, these days, works closely with his son’s agent – AGB Sport Management – in ensuring they represent him well.
Most importantly, we praise Giandomenico for the sacrifice he made.
We credit Sandro Tonali’s Dad for the endless journeys back and forth from Sant’Angelo Lodigiano to Piacenza (for two years) – all in the name of seeing his son succeed.
About Sandro Tonali Mother:
A very handsome Sandro as a child with his beloved mother, Mariarosa Crivellari Tonali.
Mariarosa Crivellari is also known as Mary. She is the one whom her son has known most – since his childhood.
She, like Giandomenico, is a football fan, the type who puts her job on hold in the name of travelling to watch her son on the big stages.
About Sandro Tonali’s Sister:
Maltide appears to be his only sister’s sibling. More so, she is the only female born to her parents – Mariarosa and Giandomenico. According to Maltide’s Facebook Biography, she appears to be a smoker and married with two children (as of 2021).
This is Maltide – Sandro Tonali’s Sister.
About Sandro Tonali’s Brother:
Enrico is his name, and he appears to be his male sibling. According to Giornaledibrescia, Sandro Tonali’s Brother has been ‘his guardian angel’. This picture sums up the close relationship Enrico and Sandro shared – back then in their childhood.
Sandro Tonali’s Brother – Enrico. Both share a strong bond.
Sandro Tonali Neice and Nephew:
The Italian midfield maestro is already an Uncle, and being a Celebrity Uncle is a pleasure, especially to those set of family relatives. They are children from Sandro Tonali’s sister – Maltide.
Meet Sandro Tonali’s Relatives – His niece and Nephew. They are the children of his sister, Maltide.
Sandro Tonali Grandparents:
Nonna Biagia has always had a deep love for her grandson. Both Sandro and his grandmother have a bond that dates back to his earliest childhood days. She pampered him so much as a boy, and today, Sandro pays back by always looking after her.
Nonna Biagia is Sandro Tonali’s Grandmother. She is his number one fan.
According to SkyItaly, Nonna Biagina hardly misses a game of her beloved grandson. Most importantly, she is the custodian of a family home museum dedicated to her grandson. Sandro has, over the years, given her all the first jerseys for record keeping.
About Sandro Tonali Uncle:
So far as we know, Agostino is the only member of the extended family who supports AC Milan’s rival – Inter Milan.
We popularly referred to him as Sandro Tonali’s Inter Uncle. Pictured here, Agostino Crivellari is the brother of Sandro Tonali’s mother.
This is Agostino Crivellari, Sandro Tonali’s Uncle. He is a massive supporter of Inter Milan.
Untold Facts:
Having journeyed with you throughout this Biography, we’ll use this section to unveil more truths about the midfielder. Wasting none of your time, let us begin.
About Sandro Tonali’s Salary (AC Milan):
At the time of writing this Biography, here is a breakdown of the midfielder’s salary with the Rossoneri. Where Sandro Tonali comes from, the average Italian who makes €31,602 would need 70 years to make what he receives every year with AC Milan.
Sandro Tonali Religion:
The Italian professional footballer was born and bred as a Catholic. Sandro Tonali’s family is among the over 66.7% of Italian citizens who identify with the world’s largest Christian religious denomination. To show his fans just how dedicated he is to his religion, the Playmaker made this effort to meet Pope Francis on the 14th day of October 2019.
Sandro Tonali Religio Explained. He is a Christian of the Catholic denomination.
Sandro Tonali Profile:
For comparison’s sake, he is very much like these great midfielders Bruno Guimaraes and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg. Tonali is surely capable of becoming the next Pirlo and can captain Italy and Milan to trophies. According to GOAL, he is among FIFA’s 21 best young players.
Speaking of FIFA, Sandro Tonali is the ideal footballer to purchase if you are looking for a complete midfielder in the FIFA Career Manager mode. The Baller’s SoFIFA football profile – at the age of 21 – is proof that the hype surrounding him is real.
Sandro Tonali’s Profile in FIFA is simply amazing.
Sacrificing Money for His Childhood Dream:
To get into AC Milan, Sandro Tonali did the unexpected. Did you know?… he reduced his salary (more than what Breccia was willing to offer for a contract renewal).
At the time he fulfilled his childhood dream, the youngster told the media;
Explaining to the Gazzetta dello Sport on why he did it, Tonali said as follows…
“Why did I do it? Because the desire to stay in Milan came first.
For me, it was important to take a step towards Milan.
There were other clubs, even with higher salaries to offer, but I am happy here.
Conclusion:
Every Footballer thinks differently. Some think about career and ambition, others think about money. Sandro Tonali thinks about his love for AC Milan – since his Childhood. He comes from a family of Rossoneri fans (except his uncle, Agostino Crivellari).
One AC Milan footballer inspired Tonali in his early days. It is not Andrea Pirlo, but Gennaro Gattuso.
To date, his childhood tea mug of Gatusso is preserved – by Sandro Tonali’s grandmother (Nonna Biagina) – who is the custodian of the Tonali family home museum.
Nevertheless, because of his childhood support for Gatusso, Football fans around the world hope Sandro can fully replicate Andrea Pirlo, the legendary Italian midfielder. More importantly, fans wish he could help bring the glory days back to Milan.
Sandro credits his success more to his Grandmamma (Nonna Biagina), who took him to the Oratory and watched over him as he played football. His parents (Mariarosa Tonali and Giandomenico Tonali) and older siblings (Maltide and Enrico) are worthy of my sincere praise. As I conclude this Bio, Tonali joins the likes of Lewis Miley, who is finding life easy as a starter for their Newcastle team.
Appreciation Note:
Thank you for taking the time to read this memoir about the deep-lying midfielder, an Italian star being dubbed the ‘next Pirlo’. Yes, he is the Italian wonderkid who turned down a move to Manchester United and Barcelona to seal his dream switch to AC Milan.
While making Sandro Tonali’s Biography, we were on the lookout for fairness and accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice anything that doesn’t look right in this prosopography. Otherwise, kindly tell us your thoughts about Sandro Tonali in the comment section. Finally, we would be glad if you could read another biography about Defensive Midfielders.
