Saudi League

[KiwiScot 1,684]

Kind of like the Chinese super league and the American major league big money getting thrown at players and coaches to come play, but the amounts seem like silly amounts that are nothing for the Saudi owners.

[Yobocop 1,443]

5 minutes ago, KiwiScot said:

Kind of like the Chinese super league and the American major league big money getting thrown at players and coaches to come play, but the amounts seem like silly amounts that are nothing for the Saudi owners.

Won’t last forever 

[KiwiScot 1,684]

5 minutes ago, Yobocop said:

Won’t last forever 

MLS is certainty still a presence  and with oil rich states established already in some clubs and sport(golf). Certaintly the bubble could relate around a world cup bid Saudi Arabia are reported to want, but it's hard to see the end.

[A Load of Squit 6,260]

4 minutes ago, Yobocop said:

Won’t last forever 

The PIF that owns Newcastle took control of 4 teams in the Saudi Pro League last month, they also have an interest in the group that owns Chelsea.

Yesterday several high earners at Chelsea were given contracts to play in Saudi.

After what they see as a victory in the struggle to control golf the Saudi's are turning their intentions on football.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if there are calls for UEFA to be expanded to include teams in the Middle East, can't see UEFA putting up much of a fight when Saudi millions are put on the table.

It was reported last week that the next part of their plan is a World Cup bid, now that the mould has been broken by Qatar, they are expecting it to be successful.

This is only the start.

[Yobocop 1,443]

17 minutes ago, A Load of Squit said:

The PIF that owns Newcastle took control of 4 teams in the Saudi Pro League last month, they also have an interest in the group that owns Chelsea.

Yesterday several high earners at Chelsea were given contracts to play in Saudi.

After what they see as a victory in the struggle to control golf the Saudi's are turning their intentions on football.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if there are calls for UEFA to be expanded to include teams in the Middle East, can't see UEFA putting up much of a fight when Saudi millions are put on the table.

It was reported last week that the next part of their plan is a World Cup bid, now that the mould has been broken by Qatar, they are expecting it to be successful.

This is only the start.

I was there the other week there would have to be and it would seem there is going to be a huge shift in culture 

[FenwayFrank 2,716]

1 minute ago, Yobocop said:

I was there the other week there would have to be and it would seem there is going to be a huge shift in culture 

Didn't they say that about Qatar ?

[A Load of Squit 6,260]

29 minutes ago, Yobocop said:

I was there the other week there would have to be and it would seem there is going to be a huge shift in culture 

Yes but they've shifted the culture before, look what they've done in Jeddah.

[vlad666 207]

55 minutes ago, A Load of Squit said:

The PIF that owns Newcastle took control of 4 teams in the Saudi Pro League last month, they also have an interest in the group that owns Chelsea.

Yesterday several high earners at Chelsea were given contracts to play in Saudi.

After what they see as a victory in the struggle to control golf the Saudi's are turning their intentions on football.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if there are calls for UEFA to be expanded to include teams in the Middle East, can't see UEFA putting up much of a fight when Saudi millions are put on the table.

It was reported last week that the next part of their plan is a World Cup bid, now that the mould has been broken by Qatar, they are expecting it to be successful.

This is only the start.

Very suss regarding Chelsea. Looks like it’s being used to allow Chelsea to get around ffp rules. 

[vlad666 207]

2 minutes ago, TheDarkKnight said:

It'll be used to rig FFP.

Saudi teams will buy player from Manchester City, PSG, Newcastle, et, for big money, thus, allowing the aforementioned teams to cook the books.

You beat me to it. 

[cambridgeshire canary 7,797]

I would say they can't keep up the silly wages forever and they will collapse a bit like the chinese league but.. It's Saudi Arabia

[Nexus_Canary 1,206]

Ah the corruption.

No wonder we cant stay in the prem league not sexy enough 

[stewfil 12]

Neves from Wolves expected to sign for Al-Hilal for 47m. He is only 26 years old. There was talk of Barcelona being interested. Is it possible that he can be loaned back to Wolves?

[TheGunnShow 7,377]

More sports-washing in open sight. A flimsy attempt to put lipstick on a veritable pig of a regime.

[BurwellCanary 255]

4 minutes ago, TheGunnShow said:

More sports-washing in open sight. A flimsy attempt to put lipstick on a veritable pig of a regime.

You can put lipstick on a pig but it will always still be a pig

[TheGunnShow 7,377]

1 minute ago, BurwellCanary said:

You can put lipstick on a pig but it will always still be a pig

Exactly. Qatar should never have had the World Cup and frankly, it deserved even more criticism than it got. This is just the latest manifestation of how dreadful regimes try to sports-wash using loads of cash.

Someone had the idea of writing rip-takes of national anthems and came up with this gem for the Saudis.
 

 

[TheBaldOne66 768]

5 hours ago, BurwellCanary said:

You can put lipstick on a pig but it will always still be a pig

Don’t mention the dirty animal, pig, to the Saudis lol

[KiwiScot 1,684]

19 minutes ago, TheBaldOne66 said:

Don’t mention the dirty animal, pig, to the Saudis lol

As someone said to me in Indian. If you want a beef curry, the Muslims. Pork curry, the hindus

[stewfil 12]

On 20/06/2023 at 20:07, stewfil said:

Neves from Wolves expected to sign for Al-Hilal for 47m. He is only 26 years old. There was talk of Barcelona being interested. Is it possible that he can be loaned back to Wolves?

Seems as if there is talk of Neves being loaned to Newcastle from Al-Hilal . Same owners? 

[Danke bitte 1,154]

The Middle East will keep funding their ****e league whilst pumping £ into established teams here. Yep their league might suck and never get traction in terms of general popularity but the fact the Prem is now built on Middle Eastern money suggests that influence is wide spread and deeply ingrained. 

[Duncan Edwards 2,424]

On 20/06/2023 at 18:18, TheBaldOne66 said:

Don’t mention the dirty animal, pig, to the Saudis lol

Or David Cameron

[Jimmy Raggatip 66]

1 hour ago, stewfil said:

Seems as if there is talk of Neves being loaned to Newcastle from Al-Hilal . Same owners? 

it feels like this is just a windup at the moment designed to play into fans' fears about Newcastle and Saudi ownerships

 

however you would have to admit if they did use the Saudi clubs as a loop hole to get around FFP this way that it would ultimately be very very funny

[stewfil 12]

Didn't Watford do that also? 

[Worthy Nigelton 1,299]

Capitalism doesn't care about ethics and there is no greater advert for capitalism than professional football.

[OTBC06 55]

On 20/06/2023 at 08:26, A Load of Squit said:

The PIF that owns Newcastle took control of 4 teams in the Saudi Pro League last month, they also have an interest in the group that owns Chelsea.

Yesterday several high earners at Chelsea were given contracts to play in Saudi.

After what they see as a victory in the struggle to control golf the Saudi's are turning their intentions on football.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if there are calls for UEFA to be expanded to include teams in the Middle East, can't see UEFA putting up much of a fight when Saudi millions are put on the table.

It was reported last week that the next part of their plan is a World Cup bid, now that the mould has been broken by Qatar, they are expecting it to be successful.

This is only the start.

How will they fit Football Stadiums into their amazing 15 minute city "The Line"? 😂

[It's Character Forming 1,204]

Their problem is that a player at the top of his game like say Mbappe already earns enough money to make him rich for life and most top players are motivated by wanting to win the top trophies available (as well as money).  Not many are purely motivated by earning the highest amount possible.

 

E.g. if you look at the enormous amount being paid to Kante, yes he's been one of the top players in his position, but he's now 32 and is clearly looking for a massive final payday, even more so for Ronaldo.  The message they're effectively sending out by paying huge sums for players near the end of their careers is that they can't get top players in the prime of their careers at any price.

 

Also if Saudi want the World Cup, I'd say it would be a good thing, because of the scrutiny it would bring on their society and push them a bit more into the modern world.  Although I accept there's an argument that regimes that abuse human rights should not be allowed to stage these top sports events, but it would need to be agreed how you decide that - China and Russia have both recently staged top sporting events and I would say they're worse than Saudi in terms of their human rights abuses.

 

Personally I'm dubious whether "sportswashing" works nowadays.  If you look back at the '78 World Cup, held by Argentina when it was an extremely repressive regime, from memory nothing about that came out in the TV coverage which was all very positive.  But nowadays, e.g. with the Qatar World Cup, there was a lot of scrutiny thrown up on the regime.

[pete 371]

Qatar got a world cup down to Blatter blatant corruption.  Saudi likely buy one as well due to Infantino being cut from the same cloth.  No integrity at FIFA. 

[Ken Hairy 4,272]

On 20/06/2023 at 09:27, cambridgeshire canary said:

I would say they can't keep up the silly wages forever and they will collapse a bit like the chinese league but.. It's Saudi Arabia

The Chinese league only collapsed because the Chinese government intervened to limit foreign players. This won't happen in Saudi.

[wr4sb 66]

Has anything actually changed in Qatar after all this 'scrutiny'?

[keelansgrandad 6,680]

The first people to enjoy the fruits of the Saudi league will be those lining their pockets at FIFA.

Nobody can stop them of course. They are doing nothing wrong or illegal.

Its just pathetic.

Its like us trying get an NFL League in the UK by buying up a few has beens. Get Brady to front it like Norman in Golf. It won't work because there is no history or culture. Football isn't just the match. So many of us like a pint or two and singing a few naughty songs. "Salman is a wnaker" is going to cost you a hand at least.

[Paul101 190]

they are buying players for inflated fees

 

for favours outside football its all part of the sportswashing