From City to Arabia... for money: “After football, I don’t want to work”

“Will I be greedy? I will not deny it”, fired, among laughs, the 28-year-old footballer, who signed a contract valid for the next five years with the current rooms classified in the main stage of Saudi Arabia football, which, after all, will be worth a total financial fit close to 100 million euros.

“If it was the only club willing to pay a sum with which Manchester City would be satisfied? Yes, actually, that was the case. There were also other clubs interested, but they did not follow or meet the price requested”, continued the average, which arrived at Etihad Stadoum only one year ago, for about 55 million euros.

“ Eventually, I started thinking ‘Do I want to stay in Manchester City for another season without not being completely satisfied? Or am I going on a new adventure?’. Then I had a conversation with Al-Qadisiyah. After this conversation, I was excited ", completed.

“ If my grandchildren will be able to live on this, why would I not accept it?”

Asked about the way Al-Qadisiyah convinced him to leave the ‘all-powerful’ English football, Tijjani Reijnders was also direct: “The salary I was offered... Just try to say ‘no’ to that, as a person or player... We can all be moralistic crusaders and say ‘I wouldn’t do that’, but I think most people would say ‘yes’ to money.

“Of course, money played a role. After my career, I don't want to work anymore. I wouldn't have to, after Manchester City anyway, but now I'm gonna be able to help the next generations of my family, too. I chose security. I won’t lie about it,” he said.

“ If my grandkids can live on this, why wouldn't they? I think a lot of people think your career is over if you go to Saudi Arabia, but it is not true”, concluded the average, which, in the curriculum, also counts with passages by Zwolle, AZ Alkmaar, RKC Waalwijk and AC Milan.

Reijnders in the ‘new’ Mechanical Orange

The truth is that despite the decision to leave for the Middle East, Tijjani Reijnders was even included in that which was the first list of the new Dutch selector, the Spanish Xavi Hernández (who succeeded Ronald Koeman, former Benfica coach), for the first four League of Nations days.

From the front, the Dutch will have clashes with Germany (already on Thursday, at Johan Cruyff Arena), Serbia (on Sunday, at the Stadion Rajko Mitic), Greece (on October 1, Thursday, at Toumba) and, once again, Serbia (on October 4, Sunday, this time at Philips Stadion).