OH Leuven midfielder Sofian Kiyine reflected on his three-year spell with Lazio and why he left the club.
The Moroccan midfielder was signed from Chievo Verona in the summer of 2019 in a deal worth around €1 million and spent time on loan with Salernitana and Venezia before leaving for Leuven. Kiyine never managed to break into the Lazio squad and failed to make an appearance for the first team.
Speaking to Nieuwsblad (via LazioNews24), Kiyine first looked back at his three-year tie with Lazio and why he left this summer.
Lazio was not a failure for me, but an experience at a big and prestigious club.
Milinkovic-Savic and Luis Alberto have been playing in my position for a long time and if they are in front you don’t have many chances.
I could have stayed this year too, but only to sit on the bench. I preferred to leave.
He then reflected on his time living in Italy and why he decided to return to Belgium.
Fantastic. Life is simply beautiful, good food, good weather and lots of fun things to visit. But every country has its advantages. I was alone. Now I am with my family.
I also had offers in Italy, but after eight years there I needed the comfort of my family, especially my sisters.
There were several offers in Belgium, but the Leuven project attracted me the most.
The 25-year-old Kiyine has already hit the ground running with Leuven, making five league appearances for the club. In that time, he’s scored one goal and provided two assists, enjoying a little more success after a difficult few years in Italy.
