During their Champions League careers, Manchester United legends Gary Neville and Roy Keane faced some of the toughest Italian teams.
Neville recalled coming off the pitch thinking “something wasn’t right,” while Keane admitted, “We were exhausted after those games.”
Even Patrice Evra, who played in both England and Italy, commented: “At United I felt like I was on holiday compared to here.”
These statements spark an interesting debate about the physicality, intensity, and tactics of Serie A teams during that era.
What do you think? Was it just Italian football being relentless, or were there factors that made English players struggle in Europe?
by RSDFitness
1 Comment
I think training methods were different and stricter coaches then and much harder in Italy. I think that period is over now, with sport sciences and all that ubiquitous