'What objectives do you have?': Zlatan takes dig at Ronaldo and other players who joined Saudi Pro League

Retired football star Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes footballers who move to Saudi Arabia risk their legacies becoming about money rather than talent.

In an apparent dig at Cristiano Ronaldo and the legion of footballers that have moved to Saudi Arabia, Zlatan said players should be remembered for their talent, not "for what you earned".

"I think players that reach a certain level, they have to stop at a certain stage - the big stage," he said.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

ALSO READ:Lionel Messi’s remarriage with Barcelona still a possibility: Reports

Speaking about himself, Zlatan said he had several offers from China as well as Saudi Arabia but he preferred to finish off at a big and historic club as AC Milan.

"I had an offer also from China, I had an offer also from Saudi. But the situation is, what do you want? What objectives do you have?" he said at the Piers Morgan Show.

"You have to be remembered for your talent, not for what you earned. What we are training every day for, what we are being recognised for is our talent, and that is what you want to be remembered for."

"You cannot [move to] 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."

Players exodus to Saudi Arabia

Ever since Ronaldo moved to Al-Nassar after an acrimonious divorce from Manchester United, there has been an exodus of players moving to the kingdom.

Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, Riyad Mahrez, Fabinho, and Jordan Henderson, amongst others, are the high-profile names to have ended up in Saudi to finish their careers.

While most footballers to have moved to Saudi were at the fag end of their careers or had declined considerably, the movement of players such as Ruben Neves, Jota, Gabri Veiga - still in the prime of their careers, suggests that money is having a far bigger say than ever in football.

Although Zlatan went to America and played for Major League Soccer (MLS) side LA Galaxy, he returned to Italy in 2019 and managed to win the Scudetto in 2021-22 with AC Milan.

In the subsequent season, Zlatan only played four times and started one match, scoring one goal, before announcing his retirement. The Swede had a memorable farewell as the entire San Siro appeared for his swansong and gave him a teary-eyed goodbye - something that most players moving to Saudi Arabia might miss.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.