Bart DHanis
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Noa Vahle put Georginio Wijnaldum to the test in an interview. The reporter from Today Inside the midfielder asked about his transfer to Saudi Arabia, among other things.
Wijnaldum left for the Middle East last summer for almost ten million euros. The transfer of the 33-year-old playmaker raised eyebrows, because according to a UN report, human rights are repeatedly violated in that country.
“I really liked it. The living conditions are very good for me. I didn't see anything that happened there. People have to judge the situation once they have been there themselves.”
“Every country has its good and bad things,” Wijnaldum continues. “The Netherlands also has that, and so Saudi Arabia undoubtedly does too. The image that was painted to me is very different from the image I now have of the country.”
Vahle counters Wijnaldum's answer. “Apart from what you've seen, the reports don't lie. You are a player who is often socially involved. Do you understand that people are surprised by the transfer?”
The former player of Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain, among others, repeats himself. “I get it, but again, I don't see it happening. If you want to see what I mean, you'll have to go there yourself. For me personally it's not a big deal. I haven't seen the things I read in the media. Although of course that doesn't mean it isn't there.”
When asked by Vahle whether he himself went looking for the violated human rights, Wijnaldum answers in the negative. “I can honestly say that I didn't do that.”
Three years ago, the Dutch team, including Wijnaldum, decided not to play anymore Today Inside to talk because of a comment by Johan Derksen about musician Akwasi. The reporter asked Wijnaldum whether he doesn't think it would be crooked to decide something like that and then move to Saudi Arabia.
“If you say something about racism then you also have to do this and that. When you talk about human rights… In the Netherlands you also have the benefits affair, but no one forbids players to play in the Eredivisie,” concludes the ninety-time international.
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