Julian Nagelsmann on the Saudi Pro League: “At the moment it’s not a top league.”

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·10 September 2024

Julian Nagelsmann on the Saudi Pro League: “At the moment it’s not a top league.”

Speaking at his pre-match press conference (via @iMiaSanMia) ahead of Germany’s Nations League tie against the Netherlands, head coach Julian Nagelsmann has weighed in on the topic of calling players up who are based in Saudi Arabia.

The debate was sparked after Dutch head coach Ronald Koeman said he would no longer call up Steven Bergwijn after he moved to the Saudi Pro League this summer. When asked if Nagelsmann agrees with his Dutch counterpart on the issue, Nagelsmann said:

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“Generally speaking, I can understand when a coach wants to prioritize the sporting side because the league in Saudi Arabia is not at the same level as here in Europe. But I wouldn’t rule it out completely. If you judge it purely from a sporting perspective, you have to give every league in the world a chance. But at the moment it’s not a top league. I wouldn’t completely rule out, but I can also understand my colleague”

Luckily for Nagelsmann, no major German player has moved to Saudi Arabia in the past few seasons. Former Mainz centre-back Alexander Hack is the only player to swap the Bundesliga for the Arabian Peninsula but after one season he has already left.

Germany will be looking to end their September international break on a positive note after their 5-0 win against Hungary on Saturday. However, Germany will face a tough challenge against rivals the Netherlands. The rivalry between the pair stems back to the Second World War and grew after the 1974 World Cup Final when Germany came from behind to beat the Dutch 2-1 in Munich. Incidents such as Frank Rijkaard spitting on Rudi Völler have then heightened the tension between the sides.

GGFN | Jack Meenan