[jack bauer]

been watching the developments of this over the summer, seems to be gathering steady pace in terms of attracting players/coaches. story at the moment that henderson could be the next at a reported and staggering £700,000 a week salary. how true that salary offer is who knows but with those kinds of figures available for players how significant a development in the footballing world could the saudi league prove to be over the coming years.

[Surrey Spireite]

I personally doubt it'll do much. It won't drag their natives up the levels necessary.

I'm expecting this to be much like the efforts for the American league when they were pulling Pele et al.


It won't go anywhere.

The US league at least had a massive country with plenty of Hispanics to bring in the game. RSA doesn't have that.

Building up the Saudi League won't be the same as the running Arabic City/Newcastle etc.

Looking at Ronaldo, despite his age.. it's a big payday. You can't tell me he's enjoying/ed the challenge, because frankly - there isn't one.

[spireitetoo]

China tried a similar thing a few yrs ago, ie signing ageing big name players in a bid to try and raise the profile of the game over there, in an attempt yo hopefully start attracting big media coverage, that failed miserably, as will the Saudi league,...

[Holmesc1]

Will be players nearing the end of there careers hoping for one last big pay day or failed managers going there.

[JonB]

Its a big push to raise the profile of the game there to try and get the World Cup in a few years as unlike Qatar there will be a bit more scrutiny these days and they cant line the pockets of those picking where it will end up. Once they've had the World Cup it'll probably fade away a bit and their national side still wont be up to much. As mentioned China had a big push to better their league with the theory it would improve their own players but it failed massively.

[Search & Destroy]

That guy from Watford, Odion Ighalo went to China for £20m, he’s scored about 100 goals in 130 games

Although having said he did pretty well for Watford

[Goku]

Holmesc1, on 13 July 2023 - 07:01 AM, said:

Will be players nearing the end of there careers hoping for one last big pay day or failed managers going there.

Not all. Milinkovic-Savic just signed from Lazio and he’s at the peak of his powers.

[mr. smith]

JonB, on 13 July 2023 - 07:20 AM, said:

Its a big push to raise the profile of the game there to try and get the World Cup in a few years as unlike Qatar there will be a bit more scrutiny these days and they cant line the pockets of those picking where it will end up. Once they've had the World Cup it'll probably fade away a bit and their national side still wont be up to much. As mentioned China had a big push to better their league with the theory it would improve their own players but it failed massively.

cos FIFA is squeaky clean these days. the world cup will always go where the £/$ are.

[Wooden Spoon]

Goku, on 13 July 2023 - 07:58 AM, said:

Not all. Milinkovic-Savic just signed from Lazio and he’s at the peak of his powers.

Henderson also reported to o the brink of signing. On £36,000,000 a year.


Thing is, they can sign all these players. They can have some clubs playing some nice football with some top players. But to the outside world what is this league? A series of high profile exhibition matches? Where’s the competitive edge? What’s the big prize at stake? What’s the draw?


Are the top Saudi clubs gonna qualify for the champions league or the europa league or the conference league? Not a chance EUFA will be a turkey voting for Christmas. The only possible endgame is a super league that includes Saudi teams


It’s China 2.0 from a decade or more ago. But with more thought. Like LIV Golf

[Manfred Archie Mac Gerbil]

Saudi Arabia are as entitled as any other country to build a football league and they can spend what they like on it.
Football doesn’t start and end in western society.
I hope they do buy all the best talent from Europe.
That way Europe won’t be relying on finance, they’ll have to improve their youth structures.
Might even make the English national team a bit better.

[JonB]

They will have a Champions League equivalent for that region which a quick look up suggests its competed in by clubs from the Asian Football Confederation and the Confederation of African Football. Presumably they will want to try and dominate that, seems Saudi Arabian clubs have won it more than any other country but one hasnt won it since the early 2000s.

[jack bauer]

one of the things that had me shaking my head at all this last night when watching SSN, was when one of the journalists was talking about this potential transfer and saying that henderson had the chance to quadruple his current wage, he then went onto say that this would be life changing in financial terms... back up for a minute, henderson is allegedly being offered £700,000 a week to go play there, meaning he is currently on £175,000 a week. it staggers me that these kinds of wages can be justified at all. £175,000 a year would be a hideous amount in my eyes. if the temptation is simply to earn more money than he could ever possibly hope to spend, well actually lost for words.

[ash_cfc]

I’d chop my immediate family off in any foreign embassy for £175k a year, never mind £700k

[Valley Blues]

I’m surprised Andy Dallas’ agent isn’t all over this.

Apparently.

[Lincs Spireite]

Valley Blues, on 13 July 2023 - 05:40 PM, said:

I’m surprised Andy Dallas’ agent isn’t all over this.

Apparently.

Probably is

[clarevoyant.]

Valley Blues, on 13 July 2023 - 05:40 PM, said:

I’m surprised Andy Dallas’ agent isn’t all over this.

Apparently.

Would a Jock go and play in an alcohol free country (alleged) though?!!

[DIFH]

Holmesc1, on 13 July 2023 - 07:01 AM, said:

Will be players nearing the end of there careers hoping for one last big pay day or failed managers going there.

Yep on both counts, you can add Jessie Lingard to the list. How is that going to promote anything.

[Holmesc1]

DIFH, on 16 July 2023 - 12:47 AM, said:

Yep on both counts, you can add Jessie Lingard to the list. How is that going to promote anything.

Never realised he was off there too

[60s 70s Spireite]

Manfred Archie Mac Gerbil, on 13 July 2023 - 08:34 AM, said:

Saudi Arabia are as entitled as any other country to build a football league and they can spend what they like on it.
Football doesn’t start and end in western society.
I hope they do buy all the best talent from Europe.
That way Europe won’t be relying on finance, they’ll have to improve their youth structures.
Might even make the English national team a bit better.

Think you’ll find every European player going to Saudi came through a youth structure. Why improve it to see the best go to the region?

[Holmesc1]

60s 70s Spireite, on 16 July 2023 - 08:40 AM, said:

Think you’ll find every European player going to Saudi came through a youth structure. Why improve it to see the best go to the region?

Exactly and if they are serious in saudi about getting a football pyramid going they need youth teams too instead of just hoovering the best pros from europe