Jamie Vardy gives brutal verdict on 'crazy' Serie A as ex-Leicester star blasts playing style and training methods

In the first episode of his new podcast, Jamie Vardy's Having A Party, the striker candidly analysed his season with Cremonese. After joining on a free transfer, the striker managed seven goals across his 29 Serie A appearances, but it was not enough to keep his team in the Italian top-flight.

The central point of his criticism concerns the intensity and nature of the workload imposed by Italian coaches, which he deemed counterproductive for match performances.

Vardy clearly explained his point, highlighting a stark difference with the Premier League's athletic management: "How is Italian football compared to English football? It's much slower, more defensive. Training is nonstop: run, run, run. Then you go into a match and, literally, you have nothing left to give. It's not nice when you're 38, 39, right? But not just for me. Here, it works like that. And the sporting director has a say in everything; it's crazy."

The striker then delved into the issue of psychological and physical preparation for individual league matches. According to the centre-forward, the Italian work culture doesn't allow players to recover the necessary energy, creating a vicious cycle that affects their performance on the pitch.

To support his argument, Vardy cited a specific example: "Before the Bologna match, we did what we usually do in England. So we had a day off after the game. Everyone came onto the pitch feeling very fresh, and we won 3-1. Everyone was euphoric. So in my head, I was thinking: 'Good, we'll keep going like this.' And instead... no, we went back to training every day, because 'this match is really important.' But how? All matches are important, there's no difference, at least that's my mentality."

The Italian experience wasn't just complicated on the pitch. Despite choosing a charming villa in Salo, on Lake Garda, the Vardy family's adjustment proved more difficult than expected, leading the striker to reflect on the guilt he felt towards his loved ones.

Recounting the behind-the-scenes story of his move abroad, Vardy admitted: "To be honest, moving abroad with a family is really, really difficult. What was it like coming back? Very nice, to be honest. Obviously, we had already brought the boys back. It was a struggle. Really. And I also felt very guilty."

Despite the shadows of his Italian stint, Vardy hasn't lost his light-hearted spirit. The striker reiterated how crucial playfulness and fun are for him to perform at his best, recalling how football steered him away from decidedly darker and more dangerous paths in life.

The striker concluded his speech with a profound personal reflection, punctuated by moments of laughter: "I'm at my best when I'm having fun. You have to laugh. I've always laughed, even when I was on the bench in the lower leagues. When I never gave up, and it was truly worth it. Football saved me. I have a self-destruct button; I could have gone in a completely different direction, maybe even ended up in Alcatraz..."