Italy U21 striker Graziano Pelle has revealed he chose AZ Alkmaar after being snubbed by Serie A clubs this summer.
The former Lecce forward said: "I left Italy because the offers I had received were not very exciting.
"Instead Lecce wanted more money so were pushing me towards Palermo or Napoli, where I would have been on the bench."
Pelle also found a different attitude towards players in Holland, where they aren't subjected to the same pressure as in Italy.
"There is too much violence, on and off the field. Does it seem normal to you than when a team plays badly, the fans attack the players?
"Here there is a certain Nordic discipline. The player clears the dinner table himself, carries his own water bottle and boots. If you forget something, tough! The training in Holland is very brief, about an hour, but at a breakneck pace."
