Montreal Impact defender Alessandro Nesta, speaking to an Italian media company, has described players in Major League Soccer as “animals” on the pitch. The former Lazio and Milan defender, who is now 36, joined the MLS club this summer. 

“There is a very Italian mentality here, the level is very high physically and they are real ‘animals’ on the field,” Nesta told Sportmediaset. “There is less pressure here than in Serie A, which I don’t miss one little bit. I’ve settled in very well, my family is happy and the club is solid. I got a lot of help from my teammates Marco Di Vaio, Matteo Ferrari and [Nelson] Rivas.”

When asked whether he would consider returning to a European club on loan during the MLS offseason like David Beckham and Thierry Henry have done in the past, Nesta said, “No, I have already booked my vacation in Miami! I will return one day, but as a Coach.”