The 2023 summer transfer window will remain like that of Saudi Arabia’s boom. Some big names in world football have left Europe, where the highest level of football is concentrated, for the Gulf monarchy and its emerging championship. They will be found on the field with the colors of their country during the international break in September. Most coaches have been questioned on the subject and, unanimously, there is no debate to be had… for the moment.
Didier Deschamps did not appeal to N’Golo Kanté, new player of Al-Ittihad, on the grounds that he “needed to continue again”, he who “comes out of an almost blank year” because of the injuries, and that others have “lived up to expectations” in his absence. The 32-year-old midfielder hasn’t worn the blue jersey since June 2022, and if it wasn’t for a body that let him down, he would have been in Qatar for the World Cup. Can he come back to the France team? The Saudi championship “is of a good level with the players who have been recruited”, estimated Deschamps, before affirming twice: “NG (N’Golo Kanté) remains selectable.”
The Brazilian coach, Fernando Diniz, agrees, he who called Neymar but not Fabinho, Malcom or Roberto Firmino. “What will determine my decision is their performance, whether in Saudi Arabia, Europe or Brazil and, above all, when they are called up, what they will do in the national team,” warned Diniz. In England, Gareth Southgate has called up Jordan Henderson (Al-Ettifaq), but he still asks to see: “We have to assess where he (Henderson) is going to fit in the team. It’s not easy when you’re not playing the Champions League or the Premier League.”
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Southgate warns about “physical intensity”, which often makes the difference between the gratin of world football and the level below. For Roberto Martinez, coach of Portugal, there is “nothing negative with footballers playing outside of Europe”. Thorny case: legend Cristiano Ronaldo, who shines at Al-Nassr, remains a regular in Portugal. Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal) and Otavio (Al-Nassr) are also in Martinez’s list. “We will see how those who play in Saudi Arabia are doing,” he said, putting pressure but not too much. It’s a different situation, but it doesn’t have to be negative. We have to adapt to the new circumstances of football, without making a drama out of it.”
Adaptation seems obligatory for everyone. By remaining faithful to Ronaldo, Martinez cannot advance the argument of the level of the Saudi championship to do without another player, otherwise he would fall into double standards. His counterparts are aware of this and therefore play it safe. “We are in a phase of change, it is certain that in the future, many players will go to Saudi Arabia”, conceded, fatalistic, Luis De La Fuente, coach of Spain who called Aymeric Laporte, fresh recruit of ‘Al-Nassr and Holder with La Roja. “We don’t know what awaits us,” doubted Diniz. However, it will be on a “case by case” basis in Spain, said De La Fuente.
The debate could end there. This is the case for all countries except England. Jordan Henderson, Liverpool player between 2011 and 2023, had acquired a good reputation for his commitment to the LGBTQ community. His signature in Saudi Arabia, a country where homosexuality remains prohibited and punishable by imprisonment, was experienced as a stab. “We tried to be very supportive, but I also accept that people felt let down,” Southgate commented.
The LGBTQ cause is not the only one that raises ethical questions. In Saudi Arabia, women’s rights have made significant progress, but they still do not have the right to marry without the consent of a male relative, nor to divorce. Last February, Amnesty International warned of a “very worrying crackdown on freedom of expression online” in the Saudi kingdom. “If there is a feeling that we haven’t done enough, we have to accept (these criticisms), but it’s not intentional, weighted Southgate. These are very complex situations in which we try to navigate as best we can.” Before deciding: “We are building a team for footballing reasons.” The truth on the ground will remain, in the eyes of the great nations, the justice of the peace.