Chelsea star Oscar has revealed that, despite taking part in the Olympic Games this summer, he was not prepared for the intensity of the European game upon arrival.
Oscar, recently 21, had spent the entirety of his short career to date in Brazil, starting-off as an academy product at São Paulo, before making a controversial switch to Internacional for the 2010 season.
With two goals on his full-debut, against Juventus in the Champions League, it would be easy to think that the adaptation process had been smooth. However, Oscar admits he was not prepared for the pace of game he would encounter – a particular feature of the Premier League.
“I’d be lying if I said that I was prepared to arrive at a big club and, after two weeks, become a starter,” Oscar said in an interview with Tá Na Area, on TV Globo. “The games are very dynamic, they don’t stop. I am still adapting to it.”
On Sunday, in a separate interview with Lancenet!, Oscar praised the standard and competitiveness of his new surroundings:
“Like the Brasileirão, the English league is also very balanced,” he continued. “I think today it is the most competitive league in the world, principally because the best players are here.
“Furthermore, the league is very organised. I am certain that we will have a good season.”
