Tuanzebe: ‘Every team in the Premier League would go to Atalanta and struggle’ | OneFootball

Ipswich Town defender and former Napoli loanee Axel Tuanzebe claims that ‘every team in the Premier League would go to Bergamo and struggle’ against Atalanta in a strong backing of Serie A and the overall quality of the division.

The former Manchester United graduate was a guest on The Overlap, where he briefly spoke about his six-month spell in Italy with Napoli.

Tuanzebe spent the second half of the 2021-22 season on loan with the Partenopei, and has nothing but good things to say about the quality and style of football he experienced, even if his first-team experiences were limited to just two matches during his time in Naples.

Tuanzebe: ‘Every’ Premier League team would struggle against Atalanta

NAPLES, ITALY – JANUARY 13: Axel Tuanzebe of SSC Napoli and Dusan Vlahovic of ACF Fiorentina battle for the ball during the Coppa Italia match between SSC Napoli and ACF Fiorentina at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on January 13, 2022 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

Tuanzebe feels that there is still a closed-off mentality surrounding the Premier League and a naivety from certain individuals about the quality and style of play abroad. He claims that a team like Atalanta – as an example – would cause headaches for most of England’s top flight.

“Players ask me like ‘oh what was it like playing in Italy’ and I think you (need to) put more respect on foreign leagues.

“We’re sort of trapped in a bubble thinking the Premier League is the best league. Yeah, competitively, it has the most money, the best infrastructure etc., but in terms of pure talent, in players, players you’ve never heard about – unbelievable.

“The games are not just breezes in the park and you really have to lock in and concentrate to perform.

“Look at Atalanta for example, you do not want to go to Bergamo and play them. It’s a long day. That’s what I’m saying, it’s overlooked. I promise you, every team in the Premier League, if they went to Bergamo on their day, they would struggle.”

Atalanta have certainly proved their worth in their recent encounters with Premier League opposition.

They held title-hopefuls Arsenal to a frustrating 0-0 draw in the Champions League at the beginning of the 2024-25 campaign, and also put in a phenomenal performance to defeat Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield in the Europa League last term.