da jogodeouro： Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr team-mate Aymeric Laporte admitted that players are "dissatisfied" in Saudi Arabia and lamented about Riyadh traffic.
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Laporte complained about lack of seriousness & broken promisesDefender unhappy with work cultureAlready fed up with Riyadh's trafficWHAT HAPPENED?
The former Manchester City defender was one of the big names to head to the Saudi Pro League this summer, joining Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, who recently claimed that the top-flight league is superior to Ligue 1. However, his experience in Saudi so far has been disappointing and revealed that several European players are not finding it easy to adapt to life in the Middle Eastern country.
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Speaking to Laporte said: "It’s a big change compared to Europe, but in the end it’s all adaptation. They haven’t made it easy for us. In fact, many players are dissatisfied, but hey; We are working on it every day, negotiating so to speak, and to see if it improves a little because this is something new for them too, having European players who already have a long career. Maybe they are not used to this and have to adapt to a little more seriousness.”
The defender also made a serious allegation that the Saudi Arabian authorities do not honour contracts and added: "In every sense, but also on a day-to-day basis. Life for them… they take everything lightly. The ultimatum you can give them doesn’t matter to them. I mean, they’re really going about their business. You negotiate something and then they don’t accept it after you have signed it. They fight you.”
GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Laporte comes across as the first player to open up on the ground realities in Saudi Arabia. His revelations come at a significant juncture, just days after former Liverpool midfielder, Jordan Henderson, forced his way out of Al-Ettifaq after struggling to adapt to the ways of the gulf country.
When pressed if Laporte could follow Henderson's footsteps in the future, the defender said: "No, let's see. At the moment, I haven't thought about it, but if I'm disappointed in such a short time, you wonder what to do. That moment has not yet arrived, but in the future, it could be if this dynamic continues. Yes, they take care of us, but not enough for my taste. That is to say, in Europe, they pay you a good salary, but they take care of you much more.
"To be honest, many of us have also come here not only for football. Many of us are happy with that, but I am also looking for something beyond that, not the economic part and such. In terms of quality of life, I expected something different because in the end here you spend three hours a day in the car. Riyadh is a waste of traffic, of time wasted in the car.”
DID YOU KNOW?
Laporte bagged 12 major honours during his five-year spell with Manchester City before he was shipped out due to recurring injuries. In late August, he joined Al-Nassr on a three-year deal with a reported salary of £21m ($26.6m) a year.