Premier League
Zirou: “Referees in Italy whistle easier than in the Premier League”
Olivier Giroud, who has since played alongside France-England and Italy, where he joined on behalf of Milan last summer, claimed Serie A referees whistled lighter than those in the Premier League.
After nine years in the Premier League, wearing Arsenal and Chelsea jerseys, Olivier Giroud decided last summer to join Milan in Italy on a contract until the summer of 2023.
The 35-year-old has recorded six goals and two assists in 20 games in the Rossoneri shirt. In fact, speaking to Colinterview – Oh my Goal, the France international made a comparison between the Premier League and Serie A in terms of refereeing.
In particular, Zirou claimed that referees in Italy are “more sensitive” to whistles: “The fact that there are several players who speak French helped me join, I found kids I knew and finally it’s not very complicated for me what the coach asks of me on the pitch because I knows what he expects from me and what I have to do.
“It’s harder to adapt to referees who blow their whistle easier than in the Premier League on easier contacts.”
As for the cost of his transfer from London to Milan, the management of Italian club will give Chelsea €1m, while the agreement between the two parties will see the payment of another €1m linked to a goalscoring bonus.
Source: sport24
Jessica Martinez is an author at Sportish, a publication dedicated to sports news and analysis. She covers various topics related to sports and provides insightful commentary on the latest developments in the world of sports.