Alex Sandro Claims Brazilian Players Struggle to Settle in 'Boring' Turin
By Tom Gott
Juventus defender Alex Sandro has revealed that he finds the city of Turin to be boring, claiming that Brazilians would always prefer to play in Rome or Milan.
Sandro began his career in his native Brazil with Atletico Paranaense and, after spells in Uruguay and Portugal, eventually found his way to Juventus in 2015, where he has made the left back position his own.
Speaking to Raiam Santos on YouTube, Sandro confessed that he finds life in Turin a bit boring, suggesting that that could be to blame for the lack of Brazilians in Juventus' squad over the years.
He said: "Turin as a city is a bit difficult for a Brazilian, because it has fewer options to have fun. When it comes to work, it's perfect because it has no distractions. My life here is training, then I come home, and sometimes I go out to dinner.
"From time to time, on free days, I visit nearby cities. Obviously there are places in Turin to have fun, but those who live there know that it can be boring for tourists.
"I think it's also why Brazilians haven't stayed with Juve in the past, because Turin doesn't have the same appeal as Rome or Milan. Then there is also the mentality of society, which is very methodical. Now something has changed in this regard, and even foreign players feel at home, I don't think it was like this a few years ago."
However, he also suggested that Juventus' intense training sessions could be to blame for the lack of Brazilians in I Bianconeri's history, as it comes as quite a culture shock to them.
"In every team the training sessions are tough, but at Juve they are even tougher. The first few months are difficult for any player who arrives," Sandro added.
"I remember when I arrived from Porto, the first two months I was in trouble. I felt my legs always tired, I said that the training sessions were too heavy for me, but they kept telling me that I would get used to it.
"I fought every day and in the end I got used to it, and it always happens, one arrives, complains because it's all too heavy, then gets used and we become maybe even this way of training has pushed the Brazilians away, who are not always used to being pushed to their limits."