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| Source=Ivan Toni Instagram |
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| 아이반 토니. AFP Yonhap News |
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| Source=Ivan Toni Instagram |
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'Inferior Superstar'Cristiano Ronaldo(40, Al Nasr) is followed by a player who is 'Up' in the Saudi Professional League(SPL).
England striker Ivan Toney (29), who left the English Premier League (EPL) to move to Saudi club Al Ahli last summer, claimed on the 11th (local time) that the SPL is the same as the EPL, which is considered the best league in the world.
In an interview with reporter John Duerden, Tony said "I personally think SPL is on par with EPL. If Al Ahli was in the EPL, we would have worked hard and made it to the top four. SPL is definitely a high-quality league, and people should not denigrate SPL. Didn't you see Al Hilal win against Manchester City?"
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| AFP Yonhap News |
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Ronaldo, who left Manchester United for Saudi Arabia's Al Nasr in 2023, has said in several interviews over the past two years that "SPL is better than French Ligue 1", or that "it will grow into a league that is in the top five in the world in the future". "Isn't there only Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. Saudi Arabia is very competitive."
Tony says "Ronaldo knows a lot better than me because he's been around the world. I have only played in the EPL, Championship, League One, League Two, and so on," he said, expressing sympathy for Ronaldo's remarks.
Saudi powerhouse Al Hilal surprised the world by winning 4-3 in the round of 16 of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup against EPL powerhouse Manchester City in the United States in July. "Malkong from Barcelona" and "Kalidou Koulibaly from Chelsea" scored a goal, and a large number of European big leaguers, including "from Manchester City" João Cancelo and "from Wolverhampton" Ruben Neves, participated in the game." Tony was about to tweet "right away, but he shut up because he could get stoned in his hometown. But people would have watched al-Hilal's level."
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| XinhuaYonhap News |
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Tony continued "The level of Saudi football is high. The players here are not as famous as EPL players, but there are many players who can play there."
Tony has scored 35 goals in Al Ahli's uniform so far. He won Al Ahli's Asian Champions League Elite in the 2024-2025 season and won the Saudi Super Cup in August by beating Ronaldo-led Al Nasr in Hong Kong. Al Ahlié includes former Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez, former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and former AC Milan midfielder Frank Kessier.
However, England coach Thomas Tuchel did not call Tony up for this September's A-match day. Tony, who made his national team debut in 2023 and played seven A matches (one goal), has become difficult to play in the 2026 North-China World Cup finals.
Tony said, `If I'm selected for the national team, I'll do my best for my country, and even if I don't, I'll support the players.' `I don't intend to talk to Tuchel separately. If you score the goal in the best form anywhere in the world, you'll get a chance."
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
