The Saudi project is not comparable to the Chinese attempt. They will keep pumping in money until it has some level of success, IMO. Benzemas and Hendersons 'great sadness' will barely be footnotes.
Remember when City signed Robinho and were manged by Mark Hughes? This is the stage we are at with Saudi football.
The problem with the robinho comparison, is that robinho was joining a competitive highly watched league, which could also enter the premier international club tournament. Saudi has neither. Their league is fucking dreadful, and unless PIF buys every team and invests heavily, it'll be fucking pointless
Yeah it's just some perspective that it's extremely early days. This is more complex and requires far more investment, time, and energy, but where there's a will and endless pots of money then things will get ultimately get closer to their ambitions. The region has took over golf, hosted a World Cup, features on the F1 calender all in the last 15 years. Give it another 15/20 years and things will look very different, IMO.
Now, i fundamentally agree with this post, but there is a section of football fandom who are more player fans than they are club fans. However these degenerates are normally for the top 5 players in the world, rather than Jota of Celtic, or 37 year old karim Benzema. Neymar and Ronaldo, for that reason, makes sense to go there. Everyone else, money. And normally when money is the main reason rather than accolades, the performances tend to be shite.I could never understand how it was meant to work. People follow football teams, not football players. And Saudi teams represent a culture totally alien and unattractive to the entire non-arab world.
I think they're trying to create sports franchises like in the US. But like you say, they need supporters. It's has to be a spectacle as well.I could never understand how it was meant to work. People follow football teams, not football players. And Saudi teams represent a culture totally alien and unattractive to the entire non-arab world.
They want to host the World Cup. That's almost certainly going to happen, so it's a win. Will the league be viable in the long run,? Probably not.
On another note, Agent Hendo has run an amazing doublecross here. Went undercover to infiltrate the league and now is torpedoing it by leading an exodus of players. He'll next return with the LGBTQ+ community to take over and reform the Saudi league to feature women and non-binary players too. My captain, my leader!
Apart from he's going to the EUAlso, very generous of Agent Hendo to bilk the Saudis for huge money and then leave before it becomes tax exempt under UK laws.
Singlehandedly propping up the NHS, our top lad is. In line for honours for service to King and Country.
Apart from he's going to the EU