“When I moved to the Italian league, I didn’t expect the difference to be this big.”
These are the words of Artem Dovbyk, a striker for the Ukrainian national team — Azerbaijan’s rival in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers — as Idman.biz reports.
The 27-year-old forward, now playing for Roma, openly compared Serie A to LaLiga, where he previously starred. He explained the increased difficulty he now faces on the pitch:
“I thought defenders in the top leagues were more or less on the same level. After all, I played against clubs like Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico, and the defenders there seemed to play similarly.”
But Dovbyk says Italy has brought a completely new experience:
“In Spain, you might have one defender on you. In Italy, there can be three or four chasing you. No matter which way you go, someone is always on your back — constantly pressing, clinging to your legs.”
He pointed out how this difference is especially clear during wing passes:
“The defender doesn’t even look at the ball — his only goal is to stop you from doing anything. Of course, VAR helps a bit, but they still keep hitting you. After every match, I leave the pitch covered in bruises and scratches.”
Dovbyk was LaLiga’s top scorer last season with 24 goals for Girona. This season, with just one match remaining in Serie A, he has scored only 12 goals — half his previous tally.
Idman.biz
