- Saudi Arabia attracting big names
- Carragher called for "this sports washing to be stopped"
- Ferdinand hits back after Gerrard joins Al-Ettifaq
WHAT HAPPENED? The Liverpool legend haa previously hit out at players in their prime moving to Saudi Arabia from the Premier League as Bernardo Silva was linked with a move to the Middle East. Other prominent players including N'Golo Kante from Chelsea and Ruben Neves have also headed to Saudi which prompted Carragher to insist that "this sports washing needs to be stopped!"
Meanwhile, his former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard has also joined the bandwagon after taking charge of Al-Ettifaq. This has not gone unnoticed by Ferdinand who launched a scathing attack on the former England international in his FIVE YouTube channel.
WHAT THEY SAID: "Jamie, Jamie Carragher, where are you man?" he began. "I heard a lot of talk, a lot of negativity about Saudi. 'Oh Bernardo Silva, I can't believe it, it's a disgrace, it needs investigating...Steven Gerrard's gone. You used to carry his boots and his bags at Anfield to games. Your boy's gone over there, I've not heard a peep out of you," Ferdinand continued.
"I've not heard how disappointed you are. I want to hear him [Carragher] say 'I can't believe Stevie's gone there'. I'm actually buzzing for any of the guys who have gone out to Saudi - because it's Saudi, people are going mad, but all these other countries and leagues over the years have done exactly the same thing."
Carragher hit back at his former international team-mate and said: "Never criticised Silva, Benzema, Neves or SG, I don’t like Saudi trying to buy football like they have Golf. I knew you’d be all over it Rio like you were in Qatar. Thats why you refused to do the opening game for Match of the Day didn’t want to criticise your paymaster!"
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The altercation continued as Ferdinand refuted that he was asked to do punditry on the opener: "Fake news Carragher. I’m a man that embraces all cultures - join the club, no need to fabricate James ! I was never asked to do the opener. I never saw uproar from you and others when the PL, serie A, PSG, Barca, RM, Russia etc we’re plucking the best talent from other leagues…keep the same energy!!"
Carragher was in no mood to accept Ferdinand's explanation and alluded to Qatar fighting with Sir Jim Ratcliffe to take over Manchester United: "I wasn’t fabricating I was told that by a few people, probably what happened with you over the Qataris buying Man United a few weeks ago! If you think the Saudi league buying players is the same as the other leagues we will have to disagree!!"
Ferdinand went on to accuse Carragher of disrespecting Saudi with his previous comments but did not speak up when his fellow former Reds in Gerrard and Robbie Fowler, who took charge of Saudi second-division side Al-Qadsiya, followed the same footprints.
"The facts are….You disrespected the league / country / culture but kept 🤐 when ur 2 boys Stevie / Fowler went 10 days later," he tweeted.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
WHAT NEXT? Ferdinand and Carragher have been involved in several clashes in the past. A few months back Carragher called the former defendera "clown" during a dispute about a penalty decision in the Champions League semi-final between Inter and AC Milan but later put their feud to bed. However, it remains to be seen how and when this latest round of war-of words ends between the two legends.
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