adminSandro Tonali and Roberto De Zerbi endured a nightmare start to their Premier League journey with Tottenham, as the Italian midfielder was openly taunted by Brentford supporters during Saturday’s humbling 3-0 defeat.
Tonali in the Spotlight: Fan backlash after Brentford 3-0 Spurs
Tottenham crashed to a heavy away loss against Brentford in their 2026-27 Premier League opener, a match that also saw Italy prospect Michael Kayode notch his first goal of the season.
But the day was especially grim for Tonali, who made his Spurs bow after a record-breaking €115m summer move from Newcastle—making him the most expensive Italian player and Tottenham signing in history.
The midfielder earned a dismal 4/10 rating from BBC Sport, which described his display as a “desperately poor debut.” The Gtech Stadium crowd repeatedly jeered him—first after a wild volley from the edge of the box that sailed into the stands, landing closer to the corner flag than the goal. Later in the first half, the home fans mockingly cheered again when Tonali dribbled into trouble near the penalty area while trying to orchestrate a Spurs attack.
Social media was equally unforgiving, with one X user questioning whether his €115m fee represented “the worst overspend ever in English football.” Some Newcastle fans suggested Tonali struggles to shine without former partner Bruno Guimaraes, with one posting: “That performance today couldn’t be a more accurate representation of his displays without Bruno.
They thought they were getting a playmaker; he absolutely cannot.” Another Toon supporter jokingly added: “No refunds, Spurs.”
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