“He’s an American guy. I don’t want him taking my spot over here,” remarked Christian Pulisic, discussing the hostility he has faced over the past decade while playing in Europe. Some may call it an eyebrow-raising disclosure, directly indicating the existence of prejudice against USA-born players in foreign leagues. However, this is not surprising to Alexi Lalas, who claims that such ‘baggage‘ still exists for the States-based stars in Europe.

Dots are connected further after witnessing the recent penalty fiasco involving Pulisic and his AC Milan teammates. Despite being the designated PK taker, the 26-year-old wasn’t given a chance to score two kicks from the spot, resulting in Paulo Fonseca’s side enduring a 2-1 defeat against Fiorentina. While discussing this incident on the latest episode of the State of the Union podcast, David Moose questioned whether Milan players are biased against Pulisic, which makes him quite submissive.

However, Lalas denied it, saying, “I don’t think he’s not enduring. I think he’s a very shy, reserved player-human personality.” The former USMNT striker believes Pulisic has to prove his value through his actions on the pitch. No one sees the former Borussia Dortmund man motivate his teammates by ‘giving a fiery speech’ or by ‘kicking them in the a** in an alpha-dog way.’ In fact, Lalas insisted that people often judge things by over-analyzing the body language of players.

Also, it mostly has nothing to do with the relationship among players. “Pulisic, I think, even with his going over to Europe at a young age, he’s still an American and there is a kind of baggage that comes with that. Not always in a bad way, but you’re always going to be looked at in a soccer sense,” said Alexi.

Practically speaking, Pulisic is still considered a foreigner, especially since he’s not playing in his home country. However, in a soccer sense, he’s viewed as an outsider due to his origins. “It’s not like they look down, but maybe there’s some of that. Then again, we’re just looking at the outside. I think the relationship is fine. Christian just goes about his business,” added Lalas.

By business, the pundit means that he wants Captain America to keep up with his goal-scoring form, as he’s currently one of the top scorers in Serie A with 5 goals. Even though it’s just the beginning of the season, for Lalas, Pulisic isn’t only the ‘best player’ at AC Milan but also in the entire Italian league—who just ‘happens to be American’—even if that identity sometimes causes problems for the former Chelsea man.

Christian Pulisic shares the difficulties he faced in Europe over the years

Christian Pulisic once reflected on the tough treatment he endured from European players early in his club career. “I’ve been in Europe for over 10 years now which sounds crazy. It’s difficult in the beginning,” he said, recognizing that many European players may not want to lose their spot to an American.  

Subsequently, the Team USA captain shared how he managed to rise above and navigate the hostility he encountered. “You have to go in with a strong mentality…I think that’s been one of my strengths. Not caring what people think, going out and showing people what I can do. That’s what I’ve done,” the US striker added.

If such is the case, then it’s just a sad reality for players of such caliber like Christian Pulisic, who, despite giving their all, are subject to such discrimination. Tell us your thoughts in the comments.