Marco Verratti believes he has become a better player for his spell with Paris Saint-Germain as Ligue 1 has given him “a winning mentality”.
Italy boss Giampiero Ventura claimed only last month that Ligue 1 was holding Verratti back, amidst continued speculation linking the midfielder with a move back to Italy, plus clubs in England and Spain, but he insists playing in France has “brought me a lot”.
“I didn’t know too much about it when I arrived,” he told Goal.com.
Marco Verratti believes he has become a better player for his spell with Paris Saint-Germain as Ligue 1 has given him “a winning mentality”.
Italy boss Giampiero Ventura claimed only last month that Ligue 1 was holding Verratti back, amidst continued speculation linking the midfielder with a move back to Italy, plus clubs in England and Spain, but he insists playing in France has “brought me a lot”.
“I didn’t know too much about it when I arrived,” he told Goal.com.
“I knew Lyon well because they had great players but I've really learned about the other teams now and I can tell you that it is a very difficult championship.
“If you are not concentrating in a match you can lose against anyone. I remember our first matches with Carlo Ancelotti; we did not win much, we often had draws.
“It was a bit of a surprise for me as I didn't think we would have trouble like that.
“This is very different from Italy where the game is very tactical. Ligue 1 is much more physical.
In England, there is often a show on the pitch. In Germany, the crowd is important.
“In Italy, everything is about tactics and in Spain it’s technique. I think the word that best describes Ligue 1 is physical.
“It is very surprising when you are on the field. When you want to take on a player, you have four that come after you – and the players move fast.
“I remember [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang when we played against Saint-Etienne – you could tackle him but he'd come right back at you.
“Serie A, which is fourth in the UEFA rankings, has faced many difficulties in recent years, with Inter and AC Milan having problems in the League and then Roma or Napoli having disappointing results in the Champions League. Perhaps France will be able to return soon.
“To defend Ligue 1, you should look at the results in the Champions League. Monaco are first in their group, Lyon can still qualify and they are only fourth in the championship.
“I saw the Lyon matches against Juventus and they matched them.
“Ligue 1 has brought me a lot. It is the championship that allows me to play with a great team like PSG, with a winning mentality.
“Then there's the physical aspect which has taught me to never let go. All teams are at 110 per cent against us.
“If you are at 110% too, the match may be easy; otherwise it is very, very complicated. I made a lot of progress in terms of my mentality thanks to that.”