Italy coach Spalletti praises Tonali's strong bond with his teammates

Former AC Milan whizkid Tonali put in an impressive performance in the victory over France on Friday, marking his return to international competition following a period of suspension for betting.

Ahead of tonight's Nations League tie with Israel, Spalletti said: “We were ready to welcome him with open arms. He’s an important player for us given his qualities. Now that he’s here, we’ve seen a new Tonali, one that’s eager to show his quality as a footballer, a Tonali who has the ability to help everyone on the pitch because he knows how to do everything. 

“His teammates love him so much, having him back in the changing room was a source of happiness for the other guys, too."

On the win in France, the former Napoli coach stated: “We add the possibility of using a few different qualities on the pitch. Everyone has adapted so they can do a bit of everything and we have had to fuse several different footballing ideas together on the pitch. 

“Sometimes we pressed high, other times it was a low block, returning to the style that has defined us in the past. But other times we maintained possession in the middle of the pitch, bringing together the philosophies of several different teams. 

“Other times we changed the game to focus on the physicality of our strikers, like England did. There is a bit of Italian inspiration, a bit of Spanish, a bit of English. 

“The stats say 53% possession for them and 47% for us, it wasn’t easy. We often had to switch from one flank to another thanks to our amazing quality, like with Dimarco and Tonali for that goal. That was a move that started with the goalkeeper. 

“We were always compact, united, it seemed like a band of brothers to me. Everyone knew how to do their job, and nobody had to be carried by their teammates.