NEOM defender drops a bombshell: the Roshn League surprised me, and Saudi players deserve a chance in Europe
I feel like I'm playing in France
French defender Nathan Zézé has lifted the lid on his controversial switch to the Kingdom in the summer of 2025, speaking for the first time with complete frankness about the real gap between the Roshn Saudi League and its French counterpart.
The Neom SC man spoke to French website "rmcsport" ahead of his second season with the club. He recently wore the captain's armband for France Under-21s in the 3-2 win over Luxembourg on 3 October in the Euro 2027 qualifiers. Leaving Nantes, he admitted, was not easy, and the financial factor loomed large: "I won't deny that."
Christophe Galtier's presence on the touchline tipped the balance. So too did a group of French-speaking players such as Lacazette, Ben Rahma, Koné and Mallang Sarr, who helped him develop and settle into the adventure.
What did a full year in Saudi Arabia teach him? "I was expecting a lower level, but the truth is that when you face the best 10 or 12 teams in the league, you feel you are playing a match in the French league," Zézé said.
He added: "There are many Saudi players who have the potential to play in Europe, and they surprised me positively. I never regret my move."
The praise only went so far. Zézé refused to echo Ronaldo's claim that the Saudi league outranks the French one, and his reply was decisive: "No, I don't think so. The French league is still superior. There, the competition is always on fire in every round, and this is not present here with the same intensity, even if the gap is not big."
One other factor makes the difference for him: the atmosphere and the passion that fill French stadiums, something the Saudi league cannot always match from one week to the next.
He signed off by stressing how much he has matured and steadied. He remains attached to his parent club Nantes, watches all their matches, and dreams of returning to Europe one day through the Champions League. Two targets drive him this season: leading Neom as high as possible, and winning the Under-21 European Championship.
