Arsenal star Cazorla labels Spanish football ‘more boring’ than English

The 28-year-old swapped the modesty of Malaga for the Emirates Stadium when Arsenal forked out £16million for the attacking midfielder last summer.

Moreover, as Mesut Ozil followed suit, the Gunners look to have the weaponry to battle it out for the Premier League title and Cazorla has no regrets over moving to England.

Real Madrid and Barcelona’s stranglehold on Spanish football has seen them collect 54 championships since the formation of the league in 1929.

Although Atletico Madrid, spearheaded by Colombian ace Radamel Falcao, finished strongly in third-place by their own recognition, they still finished 24 points off the top of the league.

Between Barcelona and fourth-place Real Sociedad there was a 34-point gap and the monopoly looks set to continue this season.

But with many identifying this season’s Premier League as the most competitive ever with six clubs, realistically, vying for the league championship, the English game looks to have broken the focus on the Spanish top-flight – excluding results in continental tournaments.

“In Spain now, it’s more tactical. I think – more boring,” he told Sport Magazine. “For me, Barcelona and Madrid are so far ahead from the rest. 

“But in England it’s far more level, more competitive. For me, it’s better. It’s possible, for example, that Manchester City play against Cardiff and lose. In Spain, it’s normal that Real Madrid play against Real Mallorca and win, win, win – it’s very difficult for other teams.

“The Premier League is more fun, I think. But I still watch Spanish football – I always will, because Villarreal and Malaga are teams that I love.”

Coming from the home of ‘tiki-taka’ and standing at only 5’6, the scrutiny was already there given the Premier League’s traditional focus on physical attributes.

But, at least, as comfort to the British, they haven’t been alone with Cazorla adjusting with ease to the English game after a difficult development because of his size.

He added: “When I was younger, my size was a problem because the teams were all full of strong players. Now it has changed: Messi, Iniesta, me. It’s easier now. 

“When I started playing football, it was hard because the players were all big and strong. Luckily, every year it has changed a bit – and now it’s more about technical skill rather than physicality.”

 

* For breaking news, follow us on @Sport_360 or find us on Facebook.