Topics: Joao Cancelo, Manchester City, Saudi Pro League, Pep Guardiola
Joao Cancelo has revealed his true feelings on life in the Saudi Pro League after completing his summer transfer from Manchester City.
The Portugal right-back, 30, left the Etihad Stadium in the summer to join Al Hilal for a fee of £21 million.
He had spent the previous season on loan at Barcelona after being frozen out by Pep Guardiola at City.
His last competitive appearance in English football was in the 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in January 2023.
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Since arriving in Saudi, Cancelo has started all bar one game for his new club, with his team-mates including Neymar, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Ruben Neves and Kalidou Koulibaly.
Al Hilal are top of the Saudi Pro League after winning nine and drawing one of their opening 10 games of the new season.
While on international duty with Portugal, Cancelo took part in a press conference in which he was asked about life in the Saudi Pro League.
He replied: "I think it [criticism of the league's standard] is a myth, because I always believed that the Saudi Pro League is weaker than it is.
"I think the intensity... the best players are still playing in Europe, yes. But the Saudi Pro League is a championship which is evolving year-on-year.
"More and better players are arriving there. The intensity is increasing."
Regardless of his current situation, Cancelo will no doubt be glad to have moved on from City, given his comments while still contracted to the club in March.
The Guardian reported that Cancelo was loaned out three times after Guardiola was 'disappointed by his attitude' when given decreased game time.
But in an interview with Portuguese outlet A Bola, the 30-year-old fired back: "Lies were told! I've never been a bad team-mate for them, and you can ask either Nathan Ake or Rico Lewis. I don't have any superiority or inferiority complex towards them. But that's the manager's opinion.
"I stayed because it's not true. I think Man City were a bit ungrateful to me when they said that, because I was a very important player in the years I was there."
He added: "I always gave everything. I remember a time when I was robbed and attacked, and the next day I was playing at the Emirates against Arsenal."
