Sporting CP's Alberto Aquilani looks back to his former teams Roma and Milan: 'They used to be in a different class'.
The 31-year-old graced a variety of great clubs in Italy, but his career has been plagued by an endless list of injuries.
Having settled in Portugal, he believes the move to the new league is not a step down for him.
Sporting CP's Alberto Aquilani looks back to his former teams Roma and Milan: 'They used to be in a different class'.
The 31-year-old graced a variety of great clubs in Italy, but his career has been plagued by an endless list of injuries.
Having settled in Portugal, he believes the move to the new league is not a step down for him.
“It's the same as it would be anywhere else, there's nothing different compared to the other great championships,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “This one has only less publicity and many things to be discovered.
“But there are great clubs here, talented players and kids with a future. When we play against our own youth team, I'm always amazed by the number of players who are potentially incredibly strong.
“Roma-Milan? I hope it's a good match, they're two big teams who aren't short of great players.
“Roma are under great pressure and they have a demanding audience. At the beginning of the season I thought they were the absolute favourites for the Scudetto, because their squad had real quality.
“Their environment is special, it grows excited and then depressed, and as a player you can really feel that. You should isolate yourself from it, but that's easier said than done.
“They have the champions though, like [Francesco] Totti and [Daniele] De Rossi, who have extra passion as Roma born-and-bred supporters. But they also have the character to drive their teammates forward.
“As for Milan, I was in a different class of team. I played next to immense champions, you couldn't turn around without facing a superstar.
“It's hard to judge them from here, I'd like to avoid that as everybody's already doing that. But they certainly need to be in better positions, more appropriate to their history.
“Things have been going on this way for a few years, but explaining how to improve on their results is not down to me.”
Finally, Aquilani discussed his fellow midfielder Andrea Bertolacci, who is struggling to impose himself with the Rossoneri.
“He came with a high price-tag and I know how that feels. They paid the same amount for me, €20m, when I went to Liverpool.
“When you cost that much, people expect great results, but it's just a tag you wear on your back and that weighs you down.
“Bertolacci has quality, he'll do wonderfully as soon as the team picks up.”