Brighton midfielder Lia Walti has revealed she felt undervalued as a footballer during her spell at Juventus, explaining that the experience reinforced why she wanted to return to the Women's Super League.
The Switzerland captain spent seven trophy-laden years at Arsenal, winning the Champions League and multiple domestic titles, before departing for Italy last summer in pursuit of a fresh challenge. However, after just one season in Turin, she made her way back to England, signing for Brighton last month for an undisclosed fee.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Walti described the gap in professionalism between the WSL and Serie A Femminile as stark. "It's such a huge difference. It's always hard to speak about it. I don't want to speak too negatively about the Italian league, that is not my aim," she said. "It's more that it's just the reality that football in England, in the WSL, has a standard which is not comparable with any other league."
The 33-year-old, who made 183 appearances for Arsenal and captained Switzerland at a home Euro 2025, said the lack of fan engagement in Italy was particularly noticeable compared to what she had grown used to in England. "We have good structures, good fields where we can play our games. We had absolutely no fan culture — not just at Juve — in general in Italy," she explained. She contrasted this with the atmosphere she experienced in England, saying even smaller WSL stadiums felt "exciting to play in," whereas matches in Italy often felt empty. "I missed the feeling I had before when I was playing football," she added.
Walti also pointed to television coverage as a major factor holding back growth in other leagues, arguing that poor broadcast quality diminishes the viewing experience and, in turn, public interest. "It affects the way you watch a game. You don't really see the speed, the tactics or anything and you don't enjoy watching the game," she said, praising the camera work and stadium infrastructure in England by comparison.
Beyond coverage, Walti listed pitch quality as one of the most pressing issues facing women's football in many countries, suggesting that even elite teams would struggle to produce quality football on substandard surfaces common elsewhere, including in her native Switzerland. She acknowledged that improving these conditions requires significant investment that many federations and clubs are either unable or unwilling to commit to.
Reflecting on her own journey, Walti said she felt a responsibility to advocate for better standards, having experienced first-hand how far the women's game has progressed in England. "You forget sometimes, when you're in your own bubble, that this is not the norm. You're just one of the lucky ones who can experience it," she said, adding that talented players elsewhere often go unnoticed due to inadequate environments.
Her move to Brighton was influenced by the club's growing ambition and investment in the women's game. Brighton recently unveiled plans for what would become Europe's first purpose-built women's football stadium, a project valued between £75-80m, alongside their existing £8.5m training facility upgrade completed in 2021. The club also reached their first Women's FA Cup final in May under manager Dario Vidosic and are targeting a top-three finish in the WSL.
Walti said feedback from players already at the club, combined with her own experiences facing Brighton in the league, gave her confidence in the move. "This is the right place — that cares about women's football, that invests in women's football, and who has the right people in place," she said.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.