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Is the Saudi Professional League the new destination for the football stars?

In the middle of the pandemic, a new destination emerges as Russia or China were in the last years. Saudi Arabia seems to bet big in players of quality to enrich their football.

While the world seems to fall down economically, oil from the Middle East turns into dollars with the speed with which the virus is spreading in many parts of the world and logically many clubs can no longer pay the wages or transfers they used to pay.

Many players have asked their clubs to be transferred due to the economic crisis in the countries where they play. Saudi Arabia does not have that problem and has taken advantage of it by signing players who are expensive.

This would be a quality leap in the Saudi league although looking at other similar examples that have done this in the past the results have not been as expected.

Will the amount of money invested what powers a professional football league or the way in which it is invested?

Should an economically powerful but unknown league invest most of the capital in players or should they invest in player training and development, trained staff or outreach?

We have seen that short-term investments have not powered any league in the world so far. The major leagues remain the same even with their financial difficulties.

The history of a league cannot be bought because time has no value, but in Saudi Arabia, a great operation has been launched in order to have a higher level than they used to have.

This adventure that the Middle Eastern country is launching began a few years ago but it was in 2020 that the world began to know that the Saudi league could be a solution for many players who were not willing to give up money even in one of the most difficult moments on record.

Many clubs, agents and players have decided to give up the prestige that operations in the world’s most important leagues give by prioritising business over other things. But can you blame them? Isn’t football a business?

Football is one of the most important industries in the world and it stands to reason that stakeholders seek to continue to keep their businesses standing.

Players from all over the world are taking the chance to play in a country without big football history but with the opportunity to pay high transfers and wages.

Is the case of Gonzalo “Pity” Martínez, the Argentinian who won the prize of better player of Southamerica given by “Diario el país” in 2018 when River Plate, his team at that time, won the Copa Libertadores. After a couple of seasons in the MLS, today he is playing for Al Nasr.

Or Ever Banega, the emblematic Argentine player who left Sevilla being champion of the Europe League a few weeks ago today plays for Shabab.

We also have the case of Sebastián Giovinco, the Italian player who has played for Juventus and had a stop in the MLS, today is playing in Hilal.

The German player Marko Marin who played in Borussia Mönchengladbach, Sevilla and Chelsea among others, today is playing for Ahli.

The list is long and there are more and more rumours about good players who could reach this unknown but attractive destination at least economically.

Many questions arise about this. Could leagues like Superleague of China, Premier League of Russia or even MLS compete with the economic power of Saudi Arabia?

Will they be able to bring together the right players to make a world-class competitive league? The investment should have been more comprehensive and not only in quality players? We will see that in the future I guess.

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