Milan's Sandro Tonali on a mission to emulate Champions League heroes

Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali knows all about what it means to succeed in the UEFA Champions League.

The 22-year-old was a young fan of the great Rossoneri side of the 2000s that reached three Champions League finals and lifted the trophy on two occasions. Now, he is part of the Milan team that has qualified for the competition's knockout stages for the first time since 2014.

This season, Milan navigated their way through a group stage containing Chelsea, Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb. They then saw off Tottenham Hotspur in the round of 16, setting up a first foray into the last eight since 2012 and a date with Serie A rivals Napoli.

"It's nice to be back. All those years away haven't been good for AC Milan and its fans – they weren't good for anyone," Tonali assesses. "It's really great to play these matches again and win again in the Champions League knockout phase. It's nice [for] the fans, who give us crazy energy. We're all together and playing Champions League games always feels incredible, especially in San Siro."

When it comes to the supporters, few can understand them better than Tonali, who reminisces fondly over his side's past successes.

"It was an inexplicable feeling, I'm lucky I remember it," he recalls. "I haven't just lived those moments without remembering them, especially 2007 [when Milan beat Liverpool in the final in Athens]. I remember a lot from that Champions League: the feelings, the celebrations..."

Tonali's transition from a fan to a darling of the San Siro was set in motion when he joined Milan from Brescia in 2020, the latest step in a journey that began playing football with friends and family in Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, a small town located around 30 kilometres south of Italy's second-biggest city.

"The very first memories I have about football there are connected to the neighbourhood, my passion for football was born there," he says. "I have many memories, but the first one that comes to my mind is really the first kicks of a ball in the neighbourhood with my friends and my brother. It was normal to play football from the morning until the evening."

Tonali has become a crucial part of the Milan teamGetty

Things are a little different for the midfielder nowadays, but his number one fan remains the same – his grandmother, nonna Biagina.

"It is a unique relationship," he smiles. "She doesn't like, or rather, she didn't like football that much, but ever since I started playing she hasn't missed a single match. This makes me really happy. She often calls me after matches and during the week she asks me when I am playing and where she can watch it.

"I am very close with my family because they have given a lot to me. They come to matches quite often, so I know they're at the home stadium for almost every game and that gives me an extra boost. It's always nice to know your family is in the stands – I'm proud of that."

When Tonali lines up alongside his team-mates on Tuesday, with the Champions League anthem reverberating around the stadium, he will aim to follow in the footsteps of Milan icons like Paolo Maldini, Andrea Pirlo and Kaká, safe in the knowledge that he has plenty of support around him.