Zlatan Ibrahimovic Criticises Players for Moving to Saudi Arabia

• Top footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar have joined clubs in Saudi Arabia
• Zlatan Ibrahimovic has questioned those who moved to the country's football league
• The Saudi Pro League has become popular after talent from Europe moved en masse

Saudi Arabia has been an attractive destination for footballers this year. Superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Junior, and Karim Benzema have joined the Saudi Pro League this year.

Legendary striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has questioned players who are moving to the SPL, saying footballers need to be remembered for their talent and not the paycheck.

The former AC Milan, Barcelona, and Manchester United striker has been speaking to Piers Morgan Uncensored this week and touched on many topics.

Saudi Arabia has been a hot topic in sports in recent years following their heavy investments in different sports. The country has lured many elite players from European clubs this summer, spending huge amounts of money on fees and wages.

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Ibrahimovic weighed in on players moving to the SPL:

"You have to be remembered for your talent, not for what you earned. Because if you were remembered in the opposite way, what we are training every day for, what we are being recognised for, is our talent, and that's what you want to be remembered for," he said via BBC.

However, the 42-year-old understands why some of these players move to the Middle Eastern country.

"So I think certain players that reach a certain level, they have to stop at a certain stage, and that's the big stage. You cannot go in a lower stage and finish your career in a different way. But some players needed the situations where you can earn a lot of money because they didn't earn enough."

After his successful adventure in Europe, Ibrahimovic joined MLS side, LA Galaxy in 2018 before returning to AC Milan for a second spell, helping them win the title in 2021/22.

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He also said he has no issue with Saudi Arabia's 'moral concerns'. The country's Public Investment Fund took over four teams in the Saudi Pro League a few months ago, per the Athletic.

Benzema backs Saudi Arabia's World Cup bid

As Sports Brief previously reported, Saudi Arabia recently announced their intention to bid to host the 2034 World Cup.

The announcement came after Morocco, Spain, and Portugal were awarded the rights to host the tournament in 2030.

Al-Ittihad striker, Karim Benzema and Al-Ahli winger, Riyad Mahrez took to social media recently to bolster the Saudi bid.

Ibrahimovic picks best-ever bicycle kick

Earlier, Sports Brief reported on Ibrahimovic comparing his remarkable acrobatic goal against England to Cristiano Ronaldo's sensational bicycle kick against Juventus.

The veteran Swede acknowledged the Portuguese star's effort in 2018 surpassed his own, conceding to a fan that it was a superior rendition of his amazing bicycle kick.

During his stint with Real Madrid, Ronaldo delivered a goal to be remembered for generations, playing a pivotal role in his team's emphatic 3-0 triumph over Juventus.