HIBAPRESS – Sports
Polish player Paweł Dawidowicz, 30, former defender for Saudi Arabian club Al-Hazm, decided to leave Saudi Arabia just days after signing a contract with the club, due to the difficulties of life and restrictions imposed on women there, prompting him to forgo a huge salary to preserve the comfort of his family.
After a respectable career in Europe with clubs like Benfica, Bochum, Palermo and Hellas Verona, Dawidowicz engaged in a new experience, enamored with the tempting financial opportunity offered to him by the Saudi club. However, the Polish international player, who has 17 appearances with his national team, found that life in Saudi Arabia was more complicated than he expected, to the point that he made the decision to return to Europe.
Difficult circumstances for the family
In an interview with the website "Tuttomercatoweb", Dawidowicz explained that the difficulty of life was not only personal, but also included his wife and child, saying: "I couldn't stay there because of my wife and son's condition." He confirmed that although he gave up a large salary, he considers the health and safety of his family more important than money or football.
The player pointed out that the challenges were purely cultural and social: "Women cannot go out without a male companion, and they must remain covered, only their eyes visible," adding that adaptation was very difficult for his wife, especially since she was pregnant.
Family First
Dawidowicz said: "I tried to adjust some things, but every request was always postponed to tomorrow. In the end, I realized that there are things more important than football, such as family." Now, he is close to the Polish city of Gdańsk, training with a local team and a personal trainer, expressing his longing to return to playing football, but he puts his family first.
Return to Europe
The player concluded his speech by saying: "In the summer I wanted to have an adventure and earn more money, but now this doesn't matter to me anymore, I just want to stay in Europe and focus on my life and family."
