The former French player reacts to Ronaldo’s criticism of Ligue 1
Former France international Adil Rami has hit back at Cristiano Ronaldo after the Al Nassr star claimed the Saudi Pro League is better than Ligue 1.
The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus player made the comments after being named the best player in the Middle East at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai on Friday.
The 39-year-old made an impressive start to the season, scoring ten goals and providing two assists in twelve games. Al-Nassr is currently fourth in the league.
Ronaldo said: “The Saudi league is of course better than Ligue 1.
“France only has PSG. The rest is ready. Try sprinting in 38, 39, 40 degrees and see.”
Former Lille and Marseille defender Rami responded to Ronaldo’s claim on Twitch livestream: ‘He’s talking shit’ You want me to show you pictures of the defenders in Saudi Arabia. It’s not because he’s had a crazy career that once he says something, it’s the truth.
Adil Rami supports Cristiano Ronaldo:
“As much as we love CR7, it’s not because he’s had a crazy career that when he says something it’s immediately the truth!
Boys in Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦, 𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗱𝘀, 𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝘀’𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝘀… pic.twitter.com/7jrghFOePM
– Actu Foot (@ActuFoot_) December 30, 2024
“I think it’s a PR stunt. We have defenders, they are machines. You put him in Ligue 1 and he gets eaten.
“Cristiano Ronaldo, you know, I’m a fan. I’m Team Cristiano Ronaldo, but he made a mistake. When he says that the Saudi championship is better than the one in France, he brings a lot of people with him.”
Together with the Premier League, the Bundesliga, Serie A and La Liga, the top French league is considered one of the five best leagues in Europe.
However, only one French team – Marseille in 1993 – has ever won the Champions League or European Cup.
For comparison: Spanish clubs have won the cup 20 times, followed by English clubs 15 times. Italian teams have won the competition twelve times, while German teams have won eight times.
France is seventh on the list, behind the Netherlands with six triumphs and Portugal with four.
