Former Lyon defender Jason Denayer on Saudi Pro League: “It’s the same level as Ligue 1.” | OneFootball

A frequent topic of discussion has emerged since Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) upended world football with the purchase of four of the Saudi Pro League’s top teams.

These clubs spurred by new wealth were able to challenge European football’s stranglehold on the transfer market and brought in wide array of talent including Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and N’Golo Kanté, among many many others.

The question that kept arising after these signings chose to leave Europe for the Gulf State; what was the level of competition in Saudi Arabia and how did it compare to the top five European Leagues?

Ronaldo has frequently compared the Saudi Pro League favourably to Ligue 1. In December, the Portuguese international who plays for Al-Nassr stated “[The] Saudi League is better than Ligue 1, of course. France only has Paris Saint-Germain. The rest are finished.” His criticisms have always been countered by the fact that he has never played in Ligue 1.

However, his statements have now been echoed by a player with intimate experience with the league. Jason Denayer (29) who played for Olympique Lyonnais from 2018 until 2022 told Niewsblad “If you look at the players, the Saudi League is at the level of Ligue 1.”

Denayer who left Lyon for UAE club Shabab Al Ahli before joining Al Fateh in 2023 added, “The level in Saudi Arabia is very good… There are certainly foreigners who have played or will play in big European clubs. Because of the heat, the rhythm is different. There are no ups and downs like in England. It is more like Italy: you attack, then you calm down a little.”

Denayer is currently without a club after his contract with Al Fateh was terminated.

GFFN | Nick Hartland