With Al Ittihad star N'Golo Kante having been called up by France for the first time in almost two years, the competitiveness of the Saudi Pro League has been validated, writes Lukhanyo Mtuta.
Kante's inclusion in France's 25-man squad for the upcoming 2024 UEFA European Championship left many surprised this week as the veteran midfielder last represented his country in a 2-1 defeat to Denmark in June 2022. Notably, his second last appearance for his country was in a 5-0 thrashing of Bafana Bafana in March that year.
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Nevertheless, not many expected him to return to the national team fold after he made the switch from Chelsea to Al Ittihad in July 2023. This has largely been down to the perception that the Saudi Pro League is a step down in quality in terms of his playing career, with some suggestions that many world-recognised stars only go to the burgeoning league to pocket a handsome pay cheque.
That may be true to some degree, with the former Leicester City player earning a mouthwatering salary of €480 770 (R9.5 million) per week, not including bonuses, according to Capology. Despite being in the twilight of his career, this figure is certainly more than the weekly £290 000 (R6.7 million) he was reportedly receiving at Chelsea in 2022/23.
Although the likes of Jordan Henderson, Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar faced significant backlash for seemingly going to the Saudi Pro League for financial gain, Kante appeared to be exempt from the criticism perhaps thanks to his reputation as a modest footballer who came from humble beginnings and reportedly drives an old Mini Cooper.
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Ranked the 36th strongest league in 2024, according to football data platform Opta, there is no debate over the fact that Kante's move from the Premier League to the Saudi Pro League was a downgrade on a sporting level. However, it can be argued that the influx of top-quality signings over the past 18 months has somewhat bridged the gap in quality and competitiveness. During this period, it's been proved that moving to the SPL does not necessarily spell the end of a big star's career and, in fact, many top national team coaches have shown loyalty and trust to those players regardless.
For context, Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has not dropped the trio of Ronaldo, Otavio (both Al Nassr) and Ruben Neves (Al Hilal) from his team despite all three moving to the Middle East in 2023. After moving from Paris Saint-Germain to Al Hilal in August 2023, Neymar was included in the Brazil squad in the October international break, and it's reasonable to assume that he would have also been part of the Selecao squad for the upcoming Copa America in June were it not for his latest injury. Other European stars such as Aleksandar Mitrovic (Serbia), Merih Demiral (Turkey) and Marcelo Brozovic (Croatia) also continue to be regular features for their countries despite now playing in the Gulf state.
Ultimately, this is somewhat indicative of the competitiveness of the Saudi Pro League, with the division seemingly at least up to the standard that many national team coaches in Europe recognise. With 42 appearances in all competitions in Saudi so far, Kante's call-up by Deschamps certainly validates this argument, and one player who agrees with this sentiment is 2023 Africa Cup of Nations winner with Ivory Coast and Al Ettifaq star Seko Fofana.
In an interview with L'Equipe, the former RC Lens playmaker said: "First of all, his experience. There are some very good young players, everyone knows that, but N'Golo is the ideal player, both in terms of his quality and his ability to set an example. I can tell you now that a France with Kante is stronger, and he gets people to listen to him and respect him.
"In terms of whether he can handle the intensity of tournament football, of course he can! There is an important detail that people aren't considering is that he plays in a city (Jeddah) which is very hot and humid.
"Physically, it's hard. There is a rhythm, the teams are well-equipped. Above all, look at the number of games he has played this season (42). We accumulated games like in Europe with the league, the cups, and continental tournaments. I have no doubt about his level. We will see the N'Golo Kante that French people recognise."
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