Real Betis midfielder Nosa Igiebor believes there exists a culture of no patience in Spanish football.
The Nigerian international [pictured, right] was snapped up for € 1.1m from Hapoel Tel-Aviv at the start of last season yet was subsequently criticised by some sections of the Betis faithful following a difficult start to the campaign.
However, Igiebor feels Spanish fans do not give overseas players enough time to adapt whilst admitting he had to overcome several obstacles.
“Patience doesn’t exist in the culture of Spanish football,” the 22-year-old claimed in an interview with El Desmarque.
“It must be taken into account that I did not have a pre-season after arriving at the end of the transfer window. It takes time to adjust and my football suffered but I slowly earned a place, began to enjoy more playing time and improved.”
Igiebor maintains the main issue was the language barrier, although the reception he received helped him overcome it.
“It’s true the language, without doubt, was the biggest problem. Even so, I was lucky enough to come to a friendly city, a club that works for the group and a dressing room that welcomes you with open arms. So it wasn’t as bad as I first thought.”
Despite his uncertain start Igiebor managed to force his way into Pepe Mel’s starting line-up, although a groin injury in mid-May cut short his season.
“I feel very well at the moment despite still not being at 100 per cent, but my recovery is on schedule. I have an appointment with the doctor when I get back and after that I’ll be available for selection,” he explained, before sending fans a message for next season where Betis have qualified for the Europa League.
“The Europa League is something for the supporters and everyone at the club to enjoy, so we will fight to make Betis’ name known once more throughout Europe.
“I’m very happy for myself to be able to play in European competition but the most important thing is the team,” he concluded.
