Rafiu Durosinmi says defensive Serie A football and Pisa upheaval derailed debut season

Super Eagles forward Rafiu Durosinmi says the intensely defensive nature of Serie A, combined with a sudden coaching change and a costly red card, made his short spell at Pisa Sporting Club “disappointing” and undermined his confidence.

The Nigerian striker, who joined Pisa for a club-record €11m in January 2026, managed just one goal and one assist in 12 Serie A appearances before the club were relegated. He has since moved to Genk on a four-year deal.

Durosinmi believes the tactical approach he encountered in Italy was a major factor in his difficulties, describing the league as heavily focused on defensive organisation and physical duels.

“For me, Serie A was disappointing; everything revolves around fighting out duels and defending,” he told HBVL, reflecting on his time with the Tuscan side.

Bright start overshadowed by coaching change

Durosinmi insists he initially settled quickly at Pisa and felt he had justified the club’s investment when he struck on his league debut.

“Nevertheless, I got off to the perfect start at Pisa,” he said. “I scored on my debut against Atalanta, but two weeks later the coach, who had insisted on my arrival, was sacked.”

The departure of the coach who had pushed for his signing proved a turning point. According to Durosinmi, the incoming manager quickly reduced his role in the side.

“His successor took me off at half-time in his very first match, and a week later I started on the bench. I didn’t click with him; I didn’t feel comfortable in my own skin,” he explained.

The change on the touchline coincided with Pisa’s struggle to adapt in a relegation battle that eventually ended with the club dropping out of Serie A at the end of the season.

Red card incident and loss of confidence

Durosinmi also pointed to a moment of indiscipline against experienced Colombia defender Yerry Mina as another key setback in his Italian campaign.

“I got caught out by the experienced Yerry Mina; a stupid reaction kept me sidelined for two weeks. I learned from that too,” he said.

The dismissal, which triggered a ban, further disrupted his rhythm and reduced his opportunities to rebuild trust with the new coach. The forward admits that his self-belief suffered as his minutes on the pitch dwindled.

Durosinmi’s contribution ultimately amounted to a single goal and assist as Pisa failed to avoid the drop, leaving the Super Eagles attacker to reassess his next step.

New start at Genk and faith-driven outlook

Now at Genk, Durosinmi says he is determined to turn the difficult Serie A experience into a source of resilience rather than regret.

“The change of manager added to that, but it remains an experience that has made me stronger,” he said, stressing that he sees his challenges in Italy as part of his development.

The forward, who grew up in Lagos, underlined that his career is framed by his religious faith and an awareness of how fortunate he has been compared with many of his peers.

“I am very religious and am grateful to God for giving me this opportunity to become a professional footballer. I therefore want to do everything I can to thank Him for that. I realize every day that I am a lucky man. In Lagos, there were many boys walking around who had even more talent than me, but didn’t get this chance,” he added.

Despite the setbacks at Pisa, Durosinmi maintains that the lessons learned in Serie A – from adapting to a defensively-minded competition to handling managerial changes and disciplinary lapses – have prepared him for the next phase of his career in Belgium and with the Super Eagles.