FC Mainz manager Bo Svensson reveals why football superstars moved to Saudi Arabia in large numbers this summer. Surprisingly, he has not mentioned Cristiano Ronaldo as the reason behind the emergence of the Saudi Pro League.

According to the reports from Goal, Svensson suggests Karim Benzema was the biggest reason for this trend, not Ronaldo. He believes that the superstars leaving for the Middle East endangers European football. 

The Mainz manager said to BILD, “I take it very seriously. It’s different from back then with China. Only three foreigners were allowed to play per club, and really big names didn’t go to China either.

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“For me, the decisive transfer to Saudi Arabia wasn’t Ronaldo at 38, but Benzema, who just played in the semi-finals of the Champions League. This could be a door opener for others. If you see the names now, the number of players going there, and the money that’s available where even the Premier League can’t keep up.. I’m excited to see how it goes.”

A similar situation happened in China when the Chinese owners offered obscene amounts of money to players to come and play in Asia. However, not only the players refused the move, but hardly any rating was given to the Chinese League. However, the Saudi Pro League is proving to be a different conversation altogether.

Whether you agree or disagree with Svensson, he has a point. Karim Benzema moving to Saudi Pro League wasn’t just a superstar moving to the Middle East but a player at the top of his game. When Ronaldo moved to Al Nassr, he was 38 and dominated the sport for over 20 years. 

Benzema is the current Ballon d’Or holder. Although there are minimal chances that he will defend it this year, he was part of the team that won the Copa del Rey. Moreover, the French striker scored 30+ goals in the season.