Walti: I Missed Being Valued as a Footballer at Juventus

Brighton midfielder Lia Walti has revealed that she left Juventus after just one season because she missed "the feeling of being valued as a footballer." The Switzerland captain, who spent seven years at Arsenal, returned to the Women's Super League (WSL) last month, joining Brighton for an undisclosed fee.

Walti, 33, helped Arsenal win four major trophies, including the Champions League and WSL titles, before moving to Italy last summer in search of a new challenge. However, she quickly realized that the differences in professionalism between the two leagues were "extreme."

Differences in Professionalism

Speaking to BBC Sport, Walti was careful not to criticize the Italian league too harshly but highlighted the stark contrast in standards. "It's such a huge difference. It's always hard to speak about it. I don't want to speak too negatively about the Italian league, that is not my aim," she said. "It's more that it's just the reality that football in England, in the WSL, has a standard which is not comparable with any other league."

Walti expressed disappointment that many players abroad do not have the same opportunities or professional environments. "It's a bit sad and disappointing to see a lot of girls abroad do not have the same opportunities or standards in terms of being in professional environments," she added.

Fan Culture and Support

The midfielder said she missed playing in front of an established football culture and the support that comes with it. "I missed the feeling of being valued as a footballer, feeling like we're getting the full support we needed," Walti explained. "We have good structures, good fields where we can play our games. We had absolutely no fan culture - not just at Juve - in general in Italy."

She contrasted this with her experience in England, where even small stadiums provide an exciting atmosphere. "When you have been part of that growth in England, with the fan cultures, the full stadiums - even stadiums that are really small, they are exciting to play in. In Italy, it was just [empty]. Every game felt a bit like that. I missed the feeling I had before when I was playing football."

Broader Issues in Women's Football

Walti, who made 183 appearances for Arsenal and has over 100 caps for Switzerland, believes that the growth of women's football in England can serve as a model for other countries. "I think you have to bring the game to the people. You kind of have to force people to watch it. I felt that that's how it maybe started in England," she said.

She pointed to poor TV coverage as a major obstacle in Italy and other nations. "In Italy, and in a lot of other countries, I think they have bad coverage. It's not shown [on TV] at all, or if it's shown, from where they film it, is really poor. It affects the way you watch a game. You don't really see the speed, the tactics or anything and you don't enjoy watching the game. In England, in the big stadiums, you can have great camera angles. I think people enjoy watching it more."

Beyond coverage, Walti highlighted pitch quality as a fundamental issue. "The biggest lacking starts with pitch quality. In a lot of countries, you play either on the worst artificial pitches or the worst natural grasses," she said. "Even if a Premier League team were to play there, it would probably look rubbish because it's just not possible to play nice football on it."

She acknowledged that change requires investment and patience. "All of the other leagues, where do you even start? It's so hard. We have the same [issues] in Switzerland. You have to do the first step - invest money for all those things before you get something back. I think a lot of countries don't have that money or patience."

Passion for Change

Walti said she is "passionate" about pushing for improvements because she has experienced the benefits of professionalism in England. "We used to not have good conditions. It wasn't professional. Our first salaries were not enough to live from," she recalled. "Now, seeing the growth in England and being with players who try to push the game in their own countries, it makes you feel frustrated to still see the reality. You forget sometimes, when you're in your own bubble, that this is not the norm."