Durosinmi talks about his tough time in Italy

Super Eagles forward Rafiu Durosinmi has shared why he struggled in Italian football for six months. He said the problem started when the coach who brought him to Pisa was fired. Durosinmi felt he never settled under the new manager, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The 23-year-old striker joined Pisa with high hopes after the club paid €11m to sign him from Czech champions Viktoria Plzeň on January 14, 2026. This deal included an initial fee of €9m and €2m in performance bonuses.

This transfer made Durosinmi the most expensive player in Pisa’s history, beating the €6.7m the club spent on Henrik Larsen in the 1990.91 season. The club gave the 1.92-metre striker a contract that runs until June 2030.

Durosinmi's start in Italy was promising. Just days after he arrived, he came off the bench against Atalanta and scored a header in the 87th minute to earn a 1-1 draw. But that goal turned out to be his only one in Serie A. Pisa fell to the bottom of the league and got relegated to Serie B. Durosinmi managed only one goal and one assist in 12 league matches, and two goals in 14 matches across all competitions.

Looking back, Durosinmi said everything changed when Pisa fired the coach who wanted him on the team. “Nevertheless, I got off to the perfect start at Pisa,” he told HBVL.

“I scored on my debut against Atalanta, but two weeks later the coach, who had insisted on my arrival, was sacked. 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.”

Durosinmi's frustration grew after he received a red card in a match against Cagliari due to an incident with Colombian defender Yerry Mina. “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.

“For me, Serie A was disappointing; everything revolves around fighting out duels and defending. The change of manager added to that, but it remains an experience that has made me stronger.”

Despite the challenges, Durosinmi is thankful for the chance to play professional football. He said, “I am very religious and am grateful to God for giving me this opportunity to become a professional footballer. I realise every day that I am a lucky man. In Lagos, there were many boys walking around who had even more talent than me, but did not get this chance.”

On July 23, Durosinmi completed a €10.5m transfer to KRC Genk in the Belgian Pro League on a four-year contract, ending his tough time in Italy early.

This transfer came after he made progress with the Super Eagles, earning three caps since his first call-up from head coach Éric Chelle for the 2026 Unity Cup in London. He made his debut in a 2-0 win over Zimbabwe, started in the 3-0 victory over Jamaica, and played in the 2-2 draw with Poland. He has not scored for the national team yet.