In the World Cup European Qualifiers play-off semi-final, Italy defeated Northern Ireland 2-0. After the match, Sandro Tonali gave an interview to Sky Sports.
About the Match
“We've seen a few monsters this week; just think back to what Italy has been through in recent years. I'm not saying we were scared, but unfortunately, things like that (referring to missing out on the World Cup) can happen.”
“Bosnia or Wales in the final? The only thing that matters is the Italy national team. We haven't thought about that match yet; let's enjoy this victory first and start thinking about it from tomorrow.”
“It's a fact that we've never reached this stage in the past few years.”
About the First Half
“We were nervous, even a bit scared at times, but in the second half, we shook off all that. We had to win the game in any way possible; the method didn't matter. We had one goal, and we had to achieve it no matter what.”
About His Relationship with Gennaro Gattuso
“We have a great relationship, and he gets along well with everyone. All of us are connected through the head coach – that's one of the most wonderful things we've built over the past few months.”
“The goal relieved some of the tension. It should have come earlier, in our opinion, but at that moment, we freed ourselves. We're happy because we gave Northern Ireland almost no chances from their strong suit, which is set pieces. Maybe we committed some silly fouls in the first half, but we stayed focused and did well.”
About Tonight's Goal
“This is the most important goal of my career so far, on par with the one I scored against Lazio when I was at AC Milan. I dedicate this goal to everyone because everyone deserves to go to the World Cup. But make no mistake: we haven't accomplished anything yet; there's still a long way to go. Now we need to forget about this match, because tonight was wonderful, but we have to recover physically and give 150% in the next game. We have to fight until we're exhausted – the fans deserve a World Cup, and we carry that responsibility on our shoulders.”
