Fikayo Tomori who is on loan at an Italian Serie A side, AC Milan from Premier League club, Chelsea, has noted that the major difference between the Premier League and the Serie A is pace.
The 23-year-old English defender joined AC Milan on loan from Chelsea, on January 22, 2021, because he was not having enough good time at the Premier League club. Before he left the club, he managed to make one appearance in the Premier League, two in the EFL Cup, and one in the FA Cup.
Due to his inability to play for Chelsea consistently, he lost his place in England national football team. Hence, he had to look for a team where he could get regular playing time.
From a couple of options, Fikayo Tomori decided to settle for AC Milan where he found it easy to settle down. Since he arrived at the Italian club in January, he has played three Serie A games, one Coppa Italian, and one Europa League game.
This means that within the space of a month, Fikayo Tomori has played more games than he played for Chelsea this season. He has made himself one of the most important parts of the AC Milan squad that is fighting to win the Serie A title this season.
Even though the defender has played almost all AC Milan games since he made his debut for the Italian side against Inter Milan on January 26, the defender said it is difficult to adapt to the style of play in Serie A.
He admitted that Serie A is different from the Premier League in terms of the tactical aspect of Serie A which involves a lot of thinking on the part of the players on the pitch and the coaching crew.
“I’m just happy to be back playing, and in the thick of things which is the most important thing”, Fikayo Tomori told Sky Sports. “Coming here I think one of the goals personally was to get back on the pitch and try to win a trophy, that would be amazing
“I definitely feel a part of it and feel it. I’m trying to make the most of the experience, trying to better myself, learn the language, understand the language.
“Here it’s a lot more tactical, there’s a lot more thinking going on and a lot more positional awareness. In England, the game is a lot faster. Like when a goalkeeper catches a ball then suddenly you have strikers and wingers bombing up the pitch, here it’s a bit more structured and a bit slower.
“There are a lot more instances when you’re 1 v 1 and you have to be aware of where the ball is, where you have to be standing at a specific moment about the ball. That kinda stuff is different and it takes time to get used to.”
Ciao @acmilan fans👋🏾.
— Fikayo Tomori (@fikayotomori_) January 22, 2021
Honoured to have this opportunity to fight for this great club, I can’t wait to show myself on the pitch🔴⚫️.
Un grande abbraccio#ForzaMilan❤️🖤. pic.twitter.com/rd55HvHdOA
AC Milan are currently sitting on the second spot on the Serie A table with 49 points in 22 league games after recording 15 wins, four draws, and three defeats. They are one point away from first placed Inter Milan.
