Italian defender Andrea Barzagli of Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg has praised the German league as more exciting than the Serie A he left in summer, reflecting what many observers of both leagues have long maintained.
“The style of play is more spectacular here than it is in Italy,” Barzagli said. “There’s more goals than in the Serie A for starters. There is rarely a match there which ends 5-4 or 4-2. Italian soccer is very tactical. The small teams almost always just set out to defend, rather than launch any attacks themselves. The standard of play in Germany has definitely improved.”
Barzagli, 27, was a five-year veteran of Serie A teams Chievo and Palermo before joining Wolfsburg, currently ninth in the 18-team league. He has played in all seven of the team’s league games this season.