Germany's Nagelsmann open to selecting players from Saudi League

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has indicated that if a player were performing well in the Saudi Arabian football league, he would consider calling them up to the national team.

While acknowledging the Saudi Pro League's current lower profile compared to European leagues, Nagelsmann emphasized that maintaining a high level of performance could still warrant national team selection.

"You have to see whether the player can maintain the level to play for his country," Nagelsmann said ahead of Germany's Nations League game against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on Tuesday.

Dutch coach Ronald Koeman has dropped Steven Bergwijn after his transfer from Ajax Amsterdam to Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, accusing the 26-year-old of being greedy and neglecting sporting pride.

Bergwijn then declared his career in the national team to be over for as long as Koeman is in charge.

Despite his understanding for Koeman's decision, Nagelsmann kept all options open for himself in such cases, stating that he wouldn't categorically rule out considering players from any league.

"If you look at it from a purely sporting point of view, you have to give all leagues a chance," Nagelsmann said.

He added that the Bundesliga was not a top league when it was founded in 1963 either.

In recent years, many professional footballers have transferred from Europe to the Saudi Pro League for lucrative salaries, including superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who still plays for Portugal.