The Serbian Aleksandar Mitrović, former striker for Al-Rayyan and Al-Hilal, expressed his opinion on the development of the Saudi league and the increase in the number of foreign players, asserting that this has a negative impact on the development of local players.

Mitrović is preparing to lead the Serbian national team in a friendly match against Saudi Arabia, scheduled for March 31 in Belgrade.

The Serbian striker said in a press statement: "The development of the Saudi league has had a negative impact on the national team, due to the reduced participation of local players, especially the youth."

He added: "Training with great players helps in development, but matches remain the most important factor. They have a good team, but there are players who are advanced in age, and it is unknown how long they will continue after the 2026 World Cup. There are two sides to this: a league that is developing versus the slowing development of the local player."

Regarding the upcoming friendly match, Mitrovic explained: "We are the favorites to win and we have higher quality. We want to make our fans happy, implement the coach's ideas, and increase our harmony."

He concluded his remarks by emphasizing the importance of facing major national teams, saying: "We want to play against strong teams like Spain, Argentina, and England to know our true level, as these challenges lead us to develop."