Anyone expecting immediate results from Saudi Arabia's unprecedented splurge on soccer stars was likely disappointed. That's because billions of dollars in spending have so far produced a lopsided season with no international silver medals.
Despite the following superstar fireworks being displayed last year, Cristiano Ronaldo, karim benzema and neymarthe new-look Saudi Pro League has offered few fireworks since then.
On Saturday, Al Hilal sought to win their fourth title in five years with three games remaining despite the absence of Neymar, who was injured while on international duty with Brazil in October.
None of the Saudi teams made it to the Asian Champions League final, hosts Al Ittihad were eliminated in the second round of the Club World Cup in Jeddah, and Roberto Mancini's Saudi national team lost to the Asian Champions League. They were eliminated in the last 16 of the Cup.
Al Hilal boasted overwhelming strength, achieving 34 consecutive wins in all competitions (a record for a top team) and remaining undefeated in the professional league.
The 9-0, 7-0 and 6-1 victory was against Al Hilal, one of four clubs acquired last year by the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia's oil-backed state investment vehicle. It highlighted the gap between them and other clubs.
Al Hilal, Ronaldo's Al Nasr, Riyad MahrezBenzema's new employers Al Ahly and Al Ittihad occupy four of the top five positions in the league table.
“The failure to properly distribute players among all the teams created a clear gap between the big and small teams, spoiling the competition in Al Hilal's favor.” Mohamed Mandour A Paris-based journalist for the sports data website told AFP.
The World Cup is here. The newly hired league administrators also say this is a long-term project, with the goal of finishing in the top five domestic competitions in the world based on metrics such as quality of players, stadium attendance and commercial success. He says it will take time to achieve this.
With 2034 already around the corner, Saudi Arabia is keen to present a new image and prepare for the post-oil era, becoming the second Gulf nation to host the World Cup after neighboring Qatar in 2022. .
Spending on players last summer was $957 million, second only to the English Premier League and unheard of in Saudi football, and certainly a boost to the sport, even if it has not yet reached its peak. It is attracting more interest.
In a recent match held in Riyadh, Ahmed OsamaAl Nasr, an Egyptian living in Saudi Arabia, and soccer legend Ronaldo (39), who is in the final stages of his career, were seen looking happy together with their two children.
“We just came to see Ronaldo, who we both love,” Osama, 40, told AFP, adding that when his children, aged 9 and 6, play PlayStation, they are not at home in Barcelona or Real Madrid. He added that he would choose Al Nasr instead.
Teething problems. Recruiting a bunch of star players all of a sudden is no easy undertaking, with Benzema having difficulty settling in at Al Ittihad and Ronaldo facing a fine for aggressive behavior on the pitch. There are also problems that arise.
former liverpool player jordan henderson After only six months in the professional league, he left Al Etifaq and moved to Ajax, but the late night starts, high temperatures, and empty stadiums are often not favorable for players.
In April, fans wearing traditional Saudi costumes raised long whips and beat the Al Ittihad building. Abdelazak Hamdallah After an altercation with the striker from the stands.
Simon ChadwickThe professor of sports and geopolitical economics at France's SKEMA Business School said it would take years to build up the kind of profile enjoyed by England's Premier League and Spain's La Liga.
“Saudi football needs to get used to the fact that money and players alone are not enough to guarantee lasting success,” he told AFP. “Saudi football has rather come and gone on the radar of soccer fans this season. That shouldn't be the case. As La Liga and the Premier League show, engagement is a phenomenon that lasts 24/7. There is still a lot of work to be done in soccer.”
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© Agence France-Presse
