Ligue 1 has long been a target of memes, with many dubbing it a “farmer’s league” due to the lower quality of play compared to the other top leagues in Europe. The French league has struggled to reconfigure its brand to be considered an elite league, and it doesn’t help if the game’s biggest stars negatively contribute to the discourse.
That’s exactly what happened on Thursday. Neymar was asked how the quality differs between Ligue 1 and the Saudi Pro League during a press conference while with the Brazil national team. His response:
I guarantee you the football is the same. The ball is round, there are goals. And with all the names in the Saudi League today, it might be better than the French league.
It must be said that Neymar didn’t exactly enjoy his time in France as a whole. He spent six seasons at PSG, but struggled with injuries in a majority of those seasons. He found success, but not enough for the diehard PSG ultras.
Neymar joined Al Hilal from PSG during the summer.
Neymar recently said he “lived through hell” during his time in France, particularly over the last two years with his friend Lionel Messi. Messi has also mentioned he and his family weren’t happy during their time in Paris.
A new era in Saudi Arabia
While Neymar’s comments may be a bit biased, it’s tough to discredit the amount of high-level talent that has fled to the Saudi Pro League over the last few transfer windows.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Neymar and other global superstars have made the jump. It wouldn’t be surprising if the league’s general level of play rivals Ligue 1, but it may take some time to get there.
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