Reason Why Kasper Schmeichel rejected Saudi Arabia as he makes Leicester point

Leicester City’s title-winner goalkeeper has swapped Nice for Belgian side Anderlecht this summer but had an opportunity to follow the masses to the Saudi Pro League.

Kasper Schmeichel turned down an opportunity to continue his career in Saudi Arabia for fear of jeopardising his position as Denmark’s number one goalkeeper.

Schmeichel has revealed that upon leaving Nice he did receive an offer to head to the Gulf State, whose massive league expansion has attracted some of the biggest stars in world football, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema, as well as fellow Leicester City title-winners Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante.

But Schmeichel has instead made the switch to Belgium, joining Anderlecht. A big factor in his decision was keeping his place in goal for Denmark ahead of upcoming major tournaments.

“I think that if I had gone to Saudi Arabia, I would not be in the national team,” he said after winning his 94th cap in a 4-0 win over San Marino this week. “There will be an European Championships this summer and a World Cup in 2026. Everyone who knows me knows how much the national team means to me, and it is included in all my considerations.

“It has been since I was young. It has always been about getting playing time and being relevant for the national team.

“If you want to play for the Danish national team, then it is not Saudi Arabia that you should go to right now. I don’t know if I could have changed that, but I didn’t want to take that chance.”

Game-time was also a consideration for Schmeichel, which was why his contract at Nice was mutually terminated, with the club deciding to make Marcin Bulka their number one this term.

Anderlecht also provide Schmeichel with something that he has always wanted: to play for a club where there is an expectation of winning, something he said wasn’t the case at City or Nice. Anderlecht are Belgium’s most successful club but last won the title in 2017. Failure to win it this season will make it their longest drought without being champions since they first lifted the trophy in 1947.

Schmeichel said: “I have always wanted to play in a club where it is expected that you will win, and where it is not just nice to win. Nice and Leicester are not clubs where there is a tradition of winning in the same way as Anderlecht is.

“I have always wanted to play in a club where anything other than a win is not good enough. I chose Anderlecht because of the project the club has going on. We are putting together a really good team.”