Claudio Marchisio joined Zenit St Petersburg because ‘I couldn’t betray Juventus’ and expects Serie A to get off to a better restart than the Bundesliga.

Marchisio signed for Zenit in September 2018 but retired from football a year later, having made just 15 appearances during his time in Russia.

When asked on Instagram why he did not move to another Serie A club, he admitted his ties to Juve were too strong.

“I couldn’t stay in Serie A, I couldn’t betray Juventus. That was the main reason,” he explained.

Claudio Marchisio joined Zenit St Petersburg because ‘I couldn’t betray Juventus’ and expects Serie A to get off to a better restart than the Bundesliga.

Marchisio signed for Zenit in September 2018 but retired from football a year later, having made just 15 appearances during his time in Russia.

When asked on Instagram why he did not move to another Serie A club, he admitted his ties to Juve were too strong.

“I couldn’t stay in Serie A, I couldn’t betray Juventus. That was the main reason,” he explained.

“It wasn’t only for what Juve and their fans gave me, but also for what I’d experienced with them.

“It must also be said that within me there had always been a desire to try my luck abroad.

“It was an experience for my whole family, my children who go to school, my wife. My wife had no friends who could visit her at home. She didn’t speak Russian. "

“In the team I spoke English and a bit of Spanish because there were so many Argentines, but it was easier on the pitch: we spoke with our feet and head.”

The 34-year-old was then asked about the Italian top flight resuming on June 20 – a month after the Bundesliga started up again.

“It’ll be interesting to see the first few games, to see what these teams will be like.

“For us too, for the pleasure of watching this sport, playing in the evening can only improve the quality of the players’ performances.

“I’ve seen the Bundesliga: they had very little time to prepare and the games were very slow.

“Now the levels are increasing. I think it’ll be a bit different here. The start will be gradual, even if several players have already picked up injuries.

“It’ll be necessary for players to pace themselves during this phase of preparation. Whoever has the biggest squad will be able to manage it best.”

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