Former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has opened up on why he made the move to Saudi Arabia, debunking claims that he and other players chased money.
Mendy left Chelsea for Al-Ahli in a £16m ($21.4m) deal in 2023, and in May the Africa Cup of Nations winner helped his Saudi club win the Asian Champions League – making him one of the few players to win both that competition and its European equivalent.
But, like many others, the 33-year-old has been criticised for playing for money rather than prestige in the lucrative Saudi Pro League.
When asked about such criticism, Mendy told a joint-BBC Sport and BBC Africa interview: “Al-Ahli’s project came along and they made me feel I had a big role to play.
Edouard Mendy celebrates victory after winning the Saudi Pro League match between Al Hilal and Al Ahli (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
“Two years later, we won the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history. So yes, that validates my choice. And I hope the coming years will validate it even more.”
He added: “Some people will quickly jump to conclusions and say the only reason is money. From the start, I always said that when I left Chelsea, I knew I was joining another team where I could win everything – which was no longer the case at Chelsea.”
Chelsea have since won the Conference League, Europe’s third-tier club competition, under the ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
But it comes after the regime’s trophyless first two years, a period which has frustrated some supporters after the success enjoyed under Roman Abramovich’s stewardship in the previous 19 years.
