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Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy says criticism that he and other players chased money by moving to Saudi Arabia is wide of the mark. <\/b><\/p>\n
The 33-year-old left Chelsea for Al-Ahli<\/a> in a \u00a316m ($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.<\/p>\n But, like many others, Mendy has been criticised for playing for money rather than prestige in the lucrative Saudi Pro League.<\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n 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.”<\/p>\n The Blues have since won the Conference League, Europe’s third-tier club competition, under the ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. <\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n