According to reports, the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera interviewed Gabriele Sani, the head of clinical psychiatry and emergency at Policlinico Hospital and a professor at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, who detailed Tonali’s treatment journey. This has now caught the attention of many Italian football fans.

The player’s gambling addiction became a critical issue for him and Italian football, but now the situation has changed. Sani stated: “When I first met Sandro, he was a talented boy. Now, he is a valuable man—free from the chains of addiction. I have been following his case since October 2023 when he came to me for treatment. For a year, we held three to four sessions per week to address the root of his gambling addiction.

The first step was identifying the disorder, and the second was acknowledging the illness. Sandro not only understood the disease but also showed immense determination to recover. This was evident as he trained daily despite being banned from playing on Sundays.

Moments of despair? It’s like studying every day without having an exam every two months. This requires willpower. But when we started the sessions, I told him that if he approached them with the right mindset, he would emerge as a better person and player.

Have recent investigations by the Milan prosecutor reopened old wounds? These are old issues related to behaviors he had already confessed to, and we had previously worked on them. We still keep in touch, though not as frequently, and we still have sessions. When positive relationships form, they should be nurtured, and he also wants to grow as a person.

I felt he was calm. Ultimately, he proved this by taking on great responsibility when he recently faced the media and revealed the extent of his gambling addiction. He resisted the human temptation to hide the hardships he endured.

He courageously confronted this experience. He is an important role model for all those suffering from the same disorder. Seeing a legendary figure fall, confess, and then rise again is a lesson worth more than a thousand books.”