UEFA president teaches Saudi Arabia a lesson

Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema yesterday, N'Golo Kanté, Kalidou Koulibaly and Hakim Ziyech tomorrow. Saudi Arabia is planning to recruit a number of European soccer stars during this 2023 summer mercato, and this is starting to make some European soccer players cringe.

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Interviewed on the subject by Dutch channel NOS, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin believes that Saudi Arabia is adopting the wrong strategy: "I think it's a mistake for Saudi soccer. China made the same mistake at the time by recruiting players at the end of their careers. Can you give me the name of a single player at the top of his form or at the start of his career who has gone to Saudi Arabia?" the Slovenian blurted out.

"The best competitions are in Europe".

According to Ceferin, Saudi Arabia would do better to invest in its youth: "Why do I think it's a problem for Saudi soccer? Because I think they should invest in training, in coaches and in developing their own players. A system that recruits players who are almost at the end of their careers is not a system that develops soccer."

And when the Dutch media asked him about the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) and Karim Benzema (Al Ittihad) had or would be leaving European soccer, Ceferin didn't seem too concerned: "Am I worried? (Laughs) No, no. You know what? You know what? We haven't lost them. They're still playing soccer, but they're at the end of their careers. At the end of their careers, some players go off to find money elsewhere, but it's not all about money. Players want to win the best competitions, and the best competitions are in Europe."