Former Paris Saint-Germain striker Julian Draxler has admitted he moved to Qatar for the “financial aspect” of the deal.
The Germany international chose to leave the French champions last summer after realizing his opportunities would be limited under Luis Enrique. After playing 190 matches with PSG, he chose to leave Parc des Princes to join Al-Ahli, where he signed a two-year contract.
Draxler has now admitted that he chose to leave Europe not only because he wanted to “experience a new culture”, but also because he was attracted by the “financial aspect” of the deal.
Draxler’s astonishing confidence
In a statement posted by the player on his LinkedIn profile, he wrote: “First of all, I remember a wonderful time in Paris: I arrived in 2017 as a young man and I leave now as an adult father who saw the world and learned an incredible amount about and off the field over the past six years.”
“For all the memories and experiences, I am extremely grateful to the club and all the people of Paris.
“But, especially in Germany, many are asking: Why Qatar now? Why not the Bundesliga, why not another European championship? It was simply not possible to reach an agreement and, to be honest, I did not have the conviction to take a step within Europe.
“I also liked the idea of jumping into the deep end away from Europe at the age of 30 and it was also important for me to be able to play football properly again and to be on the pitch regularly in competition mode. The alternative to PSG would have been a year without prospects, which I wanted to avoid at all costs.
“And yes, the financial aspect of course plays an important role for me. I could stand up now and say: After 12 years in Europe, I am only interested in discovering a new culture, gaining new international experience, participating in an exciting project in the Arab world – and I leave aside the question of money.
“Even if these aspects are honestly true, it would be a lie if the financial aspect was not also decisive in this case.
