The Netherlands in Conflict: Koeman and the Debate about the Saudi Pro League

A current dispute between the Dutch football coach Ronald Koeman and Esteve Calzada, CEO of Al Hilal, is attracting international attention. The issue stems from Koeman's decision not to consider the player Steven Bergwijn for the Dutch national team anymore after his transfer to the Saudi Arabian club Al Ittihad. Calzada, who previously worked for Manchester City, criticized Koeman for underestimating the quality of the Saudi Pro League. In the last two years, the league, supported by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, has invested significant resources to attract top European talent. Calzada emphasizes that numerous players active in Saudi Arabia continue to regularly compete for their national teams. He cited examples such as Aymeric Laporte, who won the European Championship with Spain, as well as Ruben Neves and the renowned Cristiano Ronaldo, who also play for their national teams. Calzada highlighted that the infrastructure and playing quality of the league meet European standards and expressed understanding for the Dutch players now left out due to Koeman's exceptional decision. Another topic of discussion is the high-profile transfer of Neymar, who might soon recover from a serious injury. While Calzada notes that Neymar is regularly participating in training and could soon play in the Asian competition, he is excluded from Al Hilal's league matches as he is not registered there. Al Hilal, under the leadership of Jorge Jesus, currently leads Group B of the Asian Champions League and will soon face Al Ain.