Tonali Admits Italy Lack a Superstar as He Urges Patience With Mancini Rebuild

Sandro Tonali has admitted Italy currently lack a genuine superstar, calling for patience from fans as Roberto Mancini works to build a new look Azzurri side following a 2-0 defeat to Belgium in the Nations League.

The result went down badly at the Stadio Olimpico, with home fans booing at the final whistle. Ahead of Monday's match against Turkey, who themselves lost 1-0 at home to France in the previous round, Tonali didn't try to sugarcoat the mood around the squad.

"I think a lot of people were left disappointed. We have to be honest and talk about what this defeat brought, from the whistles of the fans to the sad faces in the dressing room," Tonali told Sky Sport Italia. He accepted the criticism was fair given how the team performed. "But you have to accept it, because the game was not a positive one and we deserved to lose," he added.

Italy are currently going through a significant rebuild under Mancini, who returned for a second spell in charge as he tries to restore some pride to Italian football following three straight missed World Cups, including the 2022 tournament in Qatar, which also happened during an earlier stint of his in charge of qualifying. Despite that painful history, Mancini remains fondly remembered for guiding Italy to European Championship glory back in 2020.

Tonali believes the current group simply needs time to develop together. "The important thing now is to react, and we can do that within a few days. The group is very healthy, with a lot of young players. Having everything immediately is difficult, we don't have the star player," he said. "Time is there, we have to spend time together, work and enjoy ourselves together. We are healthy, strong men. With time our qualities will come out."

It has been a mixed start to the season for Tonali both with Italy and at club level. Tottenham currently sit bottom of the Premier League with just two points from five matches, following his high profile £100 million move from Newcastle over the summer. Despite that, the 26 year old remains upbeat about where the club is heading, pointing to performances rather than results as the real measure of progress.

"Football is very strange. In ten days everything can change from negative to positive. On Tottenham: the moment is negative for results but positive for the football we are playing," he said.

Things aren't about to get any easier for Tottenham once club football resumes. They travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on October 10, host Coventry City on October 19, then finish that stretch with a trip to Chelsea on October 24.

Tonali remains confident despite the tough run of results. "We play well, we create, and if you don't score in football you lose, but we are not buried. We are alive, positive," he said of the situation at Spurs, before drawing a clear distinction with the challenge facing Italy. "Here with the national team it is different: it is a very new and young group, a group that has never played together. We just have to take our time."