“I didn’t want another season like this at Manchester City. I don’t want to have to work again. My grandchildren will be able to live comfortably”

The Dutch midfielder Tijjani Reijnders He stated that he did not like the role he was being asked to play in the Manchester City and that he could not reject the financial offer that the Al Qadsiah of Saudi Arabia.

Reijnderswho signed for the Saudi Professional League team in a surprising €61 million ($69.70 million) deal, wanted to play as a dynamic midfielder, moving between attack and defense, but was increasingly forced into an attacking midfield role.

“In the preseason, I noticed that things were going in that direction again in the Cityand I started to wonder if I wanted another season like that,” he told reporters as the Dutch national team prepared for the game in the Nations League against Germanto.

“The honest answer was no. I wanted to look for other options, and then the club told me that it gave me permission to do so,” he said.

“I think many people think that your career as an elite footballer is over when you take a step like this. At first, I also thought the same thing,” he said, referring to his signing for the Saudi team.

Conversations with the coach Al Qadsiah, Brendan Rodgersthey convinced him otherwise. “He told me that I could spend three or four very pleasant years here and then return to Europe. There are already enough examples of that. That is also my goal,” he said.

“With all the big names out there, the truth is that I value the Saudi league more than the Eredivisie. “If people want to judge the football there, they should see it first,” he also commented.

According to some information, Reijnders He would have signed a contract worth around 100 million euros for four years in Saudi Arabia.

“You can always take a moralistic stance, but I think everyone would say yes to that,” he said.

And he added that “I don’t want to have to go back to work when I finish my degree. I didn’t need it either after my time in the Citybut now I can also ensure a good future for the next generations of my family. “If this decision means that my grandchildren will also be able to live comfortably, why wouldn’t I?”