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Al-Hilal star Renan Lodi has responded to criticism about the Saudi Pro League after their 4-3 win over Manchester City in the FIFA Club World Cup round of 16. The game took place on June 30 at the Camping World Stadium, which saw Al-Hilal advancing to the quarter-finals to face Fluminense.
Things began well for Manchester City after Bernardo Silva (9') and Erling Haaland (55') made it to the scoresheet. However, Al-Hilal gave them tough competition, with Marcos Leonardo (46') and Malcom (52') finding the back of the net. During extra time, Kadilou Koulibaly scored (94') to keep the Saudi giants ahead, but Phil Foden equalized (104') once again. Marcos Leonardo scored the final goal of the game (112'), knocking Manchester City out of the tournament.
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In the post-match press conference after Al-Hilal's 4-3 win, Renan Lodi seemingly hit back at general criticism towards the Saudi Pro League. His comments appeared to be targeting the English media's criticism meted out towards players choosing to move to the Middle East. He said (via YSS Scores):
"They underestimated us when we came to Saudi Arabia and considered us to be coming for the money... Yes, we take the money, but we also defeat you!"
Renan Lodi joined Al-Hilal for a reported €23 million from Marseille in January 2024. In the last two seasons, the Saudi Pro League has seen an exceptional rise in popularity in world football. This began when superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Sadio Mane chose to join Saudi clubs in recent years.
Moreover, the Middle East has been trying to expand its league by attracting young talent from Europe and worldwide, especially by offering them lucrative contracts.
"The margins were minimal"- Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola credits Yassine Bounou for Al-Hilal's 4-3 win over them in Club World Cup
In the post-match press conference, Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola shared his thoughts on their 4-3 loss to Al-Hilal in the round of 16. The Spaniard said (via The Independent):
"It is a pity. We have been on an incredible journey together and were in a good place. The vibe was really good. I cannot thank the players enough for training and playing how they have been. But it was a difficult game. The margins were minimal. We created a lot and (Yassine) Bounou made incredible saves but we were so open."
Guardiola further credited Yassine Bounou's incredible performance in the game, as the goalkeeper made 11 saves in 120 minutes, per SofaScore. He added:
"We regret a little bit that we allowed them to run a bit more. They defended so deep, the wingers were so quick and Bounou made a lot of saves. In the end, we have to score and be clinical. They arrived more in the transitions. They did not create much in the first half but we did but could not finish it."
Manchester City will now focus on preparing for the next season after finishing last season without any silverware. Meanwhile, Al-Hilal remain strong contenders to win the FIFA Club World Cup.
