Neymar has sensationally suggested that the Saudi Pro League may have overtaken Ligue 1 in terms of quality.
Amid a summer-long influx of big names from the top European Leagues, the Brazilian superstar’s switch to Saudi Arabia was surely the most notable.
It was the certainly the biggest monetarily, with the 31-year-old joining Al Hilal from PSG in a €90m deal last month.
The Saudi transfer window closed on Thursday, and it’s fair to say the quality of the Pro League has increased dramatically thanks to the significant business done in recent months.
And Neymar has compared the competition favourably to the French top flight, a competition which was, until recently, classed as one of the top five leagues in Europe. Addressing apparent doubts about the standard of the Saudi Pro League while away on international duty with Brazil, he told reporters: “I can assure [you] that the football in Saudi Arabia is the same. The ball is round; we have goal-posts.
“And I think that, for the names that went to Saudi Arabia… I wouldn’t be surprised if the Saudi [Pro] League is better than the French [Ligue 1].”
Saudi Arabia run football now
Having missed the final few months of last season through injury, Neymar has yet to make his debut for Al Hilal as he works his way back to full match fitness.
When he does turn out for the record 18-time Saudi champions, though, he can expect to be surrounded by stars.
Yassine Bounou, Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Aleksandar Mitrovic have also made the move to Al Hilal, who are coached by former Benfica and Fenerbahce boss Jorge Jesus.
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