Is playing in Italy more difficult than playing in Spain?

"I didn't think the difference would be this big when I moved to the Italian championship."

Idman.biz reports that these words were said by Ukrainian national team football player Artyom Dovbik, the opponent of the Azerbaijani national team in the qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.

The 27-year-old striker of "Roma" sincerely explained why he is currently experiencing more difficulties on the football field, comparing Serie A with the Spanish championship: "I thought that the defenders in the top leagues were at about the same level. After all, I have played against ‘Barcelona', ‘Real', ‘Atletico' and the defenders there play in about the same way."

But Dovbik says that he faced a completely different situation in Italy: "There may be one such football player there, but in Italy, three or four defenders can run after you. No matter which direction you go, someone is constantly running after you and 'sticking' to your feet."

He said that he felt this difference very clearly, especially during crosses from the wing: "The defender is not looking at the ball at that moment, his goal is to catch you so that you can't do anything. Of course, VAR helps a little, but they still hit you constantly. Every time I leave the field after the game, my body is scratched and bruised."

It should be noted that Dovbik, who was the top scorer of La Liga last season with 24 goals in the "Girona" team, scored twice as few - 12 times - in Serie A this season, with one round left to finish.

Idman.biz