Douglas Carew

🚨Bernardo Silva on the difference between playing in the Premier League and playing in LaLiga: 🗣️ Bernardo Silva: “People always ask me which league is more difficult. Honestly, I don’t think you can compare them directly. They challenge you in different ways. “When I arrived at Manchester City, I remember Pep telling me something that stayed with me. “He said, ‘Bernardo, you will always have time to play football, but you will not always have time to think. You have to know what you’re going to do before the ball reaches you.’ “At first, I didn’t fully understand what he meant. Then I started training and playing in the Premier League, and I understood very quickly. [laughs] “In England, you receive the ball and somebody is already running towards you. You take one touch and another player is coming. You lose concentration for one second and the ball is gone. “I remember some away games where you couldn’t even hear your teammates properly because the supporters were so close to the pitch. The intensity is unbelievable. “Even against teams fighting near the bottom of the table, you know you’re going to have a difficult afternoon. Nobody gives you an easy game. “But when I arrived at Real Madrid, José Mourinho told me something that made me look at football from another perspective. “He said, ‘You can be faster than your opponent, you can be stronger than him, but if you don’t understand the space before he does, you will always be one step behind.’ “That was interesting because it was a different way of looking at the game. “In Spain, you meet teams that are very comfortable keeping possession. They know how to move you around, how to close spaces and how to make you chase the ball. “Sometimes you think you have time, but the space is already gone. You have to read the game before the situation develops. “I experienced that against Spanish teams when I was still at City. You would press one player and suddenly the ball was somewhere else. You start asking yourself how they managed to escape. “Now I’m experiencing that style of football regularly. You have to be intelligent with your positioning, because one wrong movement can open a space for the opposition. “People think LaLiga is easier because the tempo can look slower, but that’s not true. You might not be running at the same intensity every second, but your concentration has to be there for the entire match. “And in England, forget about taking a break. [laughs] You can be winning 3-0 and the opposition will still be running at you like it’s the last minute of a cup final. “I’ve played against defenders in the Premier League who make every touch uncomfortable. I’ve also played against midfielders in Spain who make you feel like you’re chasing shadows. “Both leagues demand a lot from you. The difference is how they test you. “Manchester City taught me to play under pressure, to move quickly and to compete with intensity. Real Madrid is giving me another appreciation of positioning, patience and understanding the tactical side of the game. “I wouldn’t say one league has better footballers than the other. I’ve seen incredible quality in both places. “If a young player asks me which league he should move to, I would tell him not to choose based on reputation alone. You have to understand what kind of football you are going into. “You can be technically gifted, but if you cannot adapt to the physical demands in England or the tactical demands in Spain, you will struggle. “So, for me, the Premier League tests how quickly you can react, while LaLiga tests how well you understand the game. “And the funny thing is, both Pep and Mourinho were telling me something similar in their own way: don’t wait for the ball to arrive before you start thinking. By then, it’s already too late.”