Ceballos: Why the Premier League is better than La Liga
Martin Macdonald
- 16 Jul 2021 14:56 BST
- 5 min read
Dani Ceballos believes La Liga is a better competition than the Premier League and more suited to his abilities.
For the last two campaigns the Spaniard has been with Arsenal in England, helping the club to a FA Cup victory in the 2019/20 season.
The next campaign was more lowkey not just for him but for the Gunners as a whole as they failed to qualify for Europe for the first time in 25 years.
Ceballos failed to score a single Premier League goal in his time at the Emirates, while he recorded just five assists.
Ultimately, Arsenal weren't desperate to retain him on a permanent deal, which means a return to Real Madrid.
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He is happy to return to Spain, though, due to the quality of the league.
“I have a lot of love for all the Arsenal fans,” he told Marca.
“It has been an unforgettable experience. I have been in a very competitive and physical league, but for me, La Liga is better, it’s a slower rhythm, with more possession and more creativity.
“I adapted to England because I have the legs, but it’s a constant back and forth. This is why La Liga is better for me.”
Will Ceballos get a chance at Real Madrid?
Ceballos joined Real Madrid from Real Betis for a fee of €18 million in 2017, but has found opportunities hard to come by at Santiago Bernabeu.
He has started just 17 games in La Liga for Los Blancos, scoring five goals but recording zero assists.
He reveals that he has not yet spoken to new head coach Carlo Ancelotti about his future.
"I have the same opportunities as when [Zinedine] Zidane was there because it will depend on what I want to do and the coach's opinion," he said.
"I have not had the opportunity to speak with Carlo, but when we do we will be very clear. Both the one and the other.
"My goal is to play for Real Madrid and I have two years left on my contract."
Ceballos also stated a desire to one day return to Betis, saying:
"There are few people who still have a little resentment, so to speak, of my departure from the club. I think that comes because there was no clear explanation at that time, but what could I tell you about Betis?
"It is the club that has made me grow in the First Division, the one that has given me the opportunity to be the footballer that I am and for me it is everything. I have said it and I emphasize it again, I am sure that before I retire I will return to play for Betis."
