Aleksander Ceferin is not a fan of the wild transfer summer in Saudi Arabia. The UEFA president draws a comparison to what we saw previously in China, in an interview with L'Équipe.
Numerous stars like Neymar, Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, and Riyad Mahrez left the European fields behind this summer to join the Saudi Pro League. Speculation has arisen about Saudi Arabia's desire to participate in the UEFA Champions League, but that won't happen, as Ceferin indicates.
"Only European teams are allowed to compete in the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League," Ceferin firmly stated in the lead-up to Thursday afternoon's Champions League draw.
"A few years ago, we saw the same thing happen in China," is the comparison Ceferin draws. "Even there, many players moved there for a lot of money towards the end of their careers. The result: Chinese football didn't progress afterward, and the country couldn't even qualify for the World Cup. They're approaching it the wrong way. Instead of the current approach, they should be developing coaches and players. But that's not my concern."
The 55-year-old Slovenian administrator isn't currently worried about whether the European leagues will remain attractive enough for players. "As far as I know, Mbappé and Haaland aren't dreaming of Saudi Arabia. We're keeping an eye on everything that's happening, but I'm certain it doesn't pose a threat to our European leagues."
