“I will never come back to Europe, the door is completely closed.” Signed Cristiano Ronaldo, in an interview granted to the journalist specializing in the transfer window Fabrizio Romano. The Portuguese with five Ballons d’Or, under contract with the Saudi club Al-Nassr since January 2023, justifies it by his age, 38, but also by the “great loss of quality” of European football. “The only valid championship is the Premier League, far above the others.”
What if CR7 was just happy in Saudi Arabia? Happy to evolve in a championship that he considers “better than the MLS”, the American league that has just joined a certain… Lionel Messi. Happy to be a pioneer too, to have “opened the way”. “My choice was criticized. Now all the players come here,” says the former Real Madrid striker.
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Saudi teams are indeed achieving an impressive summer transfer window, managing to attract players as talented as Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kanté, Roberto Firmino or Edouard Mendy. Cristiano effect? It is certain, according to the person concerned: “When I joined Juventus, Serie A was dead. After my signature, it was revived. Wherever Cristiano goes, there is more interest in him.”
The man with 200 caps with Portugal ensures that the craze for the Gulf is far from coming to an end. “In a year, more and more great players will come to Saudi Arabia. In a year, the Saudi league will have overtaken the Turkish league and the Dutch league.
