Saudi Retirement Home

[Day]

Ronaldo, Benzema over there, Kante set to join them, Alexis Sanchez and Zaha said to be in talks.

Big money moves as well, can't blame them I guess, however until Asia can come up with an equivalent to the Champions League, they will find it hard to establish it as a top 5 league...despite what Ronaldo thinks.

Just ask the Chinese clubs.

[Srg]

Asian Champions League already exists.

It just won’t work for the reasons it didn’t in China. Lack of organic growth meant it wasn’t very well supported and Al Hilal (4 times Champions League winners) get 13k in a 60k+ seater stadium. Fad will die down, then you’ll just be very rich but having to live in a country you don’t want to be in. 

[Bris Vegas]

Nuno Espiritu Santo is a manager over there as well.

I think it has the potential to be far better than China, due to its size and location.

In China, with it being such a massive country and pretty terrible weather wise, I don’t imagine it would be too fun when not training or playing football.

Saudi season is relatively short, plenty of downtime, nice beaches, a 3-4 hour private jet back to mainland Europe. 

Money talks. But it’s a luxury retirement home compared to China and even the US where you’re traveling all the time.

[RadioactiveWaste]

Last payday destination, you can have reservations about Saudi but ultimatly money will make most people flexible.

Given the choice I'd much rather USA than China or Saudi but no one is going to offer me big money to do what I do for 3 years overseas.

[ImARam2]

I went to work in Saudi Arabia (in the aviation industry) 40 years ago (1983) and trebled my UK basic salary overnight - and it was tax free!! I was also given a two-bedroomed apartment; free medical insurance and a free ticket back to the UK twice a year.

Although I had to work pretty damn hard in temperatures up to 40-50 Degs.C and 90% humidity, with many 12 hour shifts and the occasional 16 hours, but the I just thought of the money.

That bought me a very decent home back in Derbyshire, with no mortgage, as well as being able to afford holidays around the world which I would never have been able to do on my UK salary.

Yes, there were plenty of restrictions - such as no bars/pubs; cinemas or theatres, but that meant I was able to save more and after my 6 years contract finished I departed for other places.

[Day]

2 hours ago, ImARam2 said:

I went to work in Saudi Arabia (in the aviation industry) 40 years ago (1983) and trebled my UK basic salary overnight - and it was tax free!! I was also given a two-bedroomed apartment; free medical insurance and a free ticket back to the UK twice a year.

Although I had to work pretty damn hard in temperatures up to 40-50 Degs.C and 90% humidity, with many 12 hour shifts and the occasional 16 hours, but the I just thought of the money.

That bought me a very decent home back in Derbyshire, with no mortgage, as well as being able to afford holidays around the world which I would never have been able to do on my UK salary.

Yes, there were plenty of restrictions - such as no bars/pubs; cinemas or theatres, but that meant I was able to save more and after my 6 years contract finished I departed for other places.

6 years is a long long time though, must have been points where you questioned if it was all worth it?

[Ram-Alf]

2 hours ago, ImARam2 said:

 

Yes, there were plenty of restrictions - such as no bars/pubs; cinemas or theatres, but that meant I was able to save more and after my 6 years contract finished I departed for other places.

Very similar to me, 7 years, Missed the beer and pubs, No flix and no girls unfortunately, Free room and board, Those HMPs aren't as bad as they say 😁

[JfR]

I think an interesting part of this that doesn't get mentioned so much is that the clubs that are being linked with all these moves - Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli - have all been taken over by the Saudi Public Investment Fund very recently. Only in the last couple of year have clubs in Saudi Arabia been legally allowed to be privatised companies, but it looks like there's a real push on the part of the Saudi state to pump up the status of the league through major investment in a select few clubs before selling these clubs into private hands.

Incidentally, I don't believe that the AFC has any FFP restrictions, which is why they can offer such exorbitant amounts of money with little prestige or revenue. I actually wouldn't be entirely surprised to see some owner in the Championship exploit this at some point. We already see it happen with European clubs, but the FFP still has to be balanced between them. What happens if the same arrangement happens but one of the parties has no FFP restrictions?

[Van der MoodHoover]

52 minutes ago, JfR said:

I think an interesting part of this that doesn't get mentioned so much is that the clubs that are being linked with all these moves - Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli - have all been taken over by the Saudi Public Investment Fund very recently. Only in the last couple of year have clubs in Saudi Arabia been legally allowed to be privatised companies, but it looks like there's a real push on the part of the Saudi state to pump up the status of the league through major investment in a select few clubs before selling these clubs into private hands.

Incidentally, I don't believe that the AFC has any FFP restrictions, which is why they can offer such exorbitant amounts of money with little prestige or revenue. I actually wouldn't be entirely surprised to see some owner in the Championship exploit this at some point. We already see it happen with European clubs, but the FFP still has to be balanced between them. What happens if the same arrangement happens but one of the parties has no FFP restrictions?

Marinakis to declare himself a Saudi citizen and to wear full purdah to matches?

[JfR]

37 minutes ago, Van der MoodHoover said:

Marinakis to declare himself a Saudi citizen and to wear full purdah to matches?

Inshallah

[JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta]

3 hours ago, JfR said:

I think an interesting part of this that doesn't get mentioned so much is that the clubs that are being linked with all these moves - Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli - have all been taken over by the Saudi Public Investment Fund very recently. Only in the last couple of year have clubs in Saudi Arabia been legally allowed to be privatised companies, but it looks like there's a real push on the part of the Saudi state to pump up the status of the league through major investment in a select few clubs before selling these clubs into private hands.

Incidentally, I don't believe that the AFC has any FFP restrictions, which is why they can offer such exorbitant amounts of money with little prestige or revenue. I actually wouldn't be entirely surprised to see some owner in the Championship exploit this at some point. We already see it happen with European clubs, but the FFP still has to be balanced between them. What happens if the same arrangement happens but one of the parties has no FFP restrictions?

How long before the PIF start buying European clubs across different leagues and loaning players out to them? Like Udinese and Watford but on a massive scale.

Newcastle fans will already be hoping that this is the case.

[ImARam2]

21 hours ago, David said:

6 years is a long long time though, must have been points where you questioned if it was all worth it?

Absolutely. There was a saying though, which went that you have a bucket of bull-s**t, and a bucket of money, and when one outweighed the other you left.

So I kept taking the bull-s**t until that outweighed the money.

[ariotofmyown]

13 hours ago, JfR said:

I think an interesting part of this that doesn't get mentioned so much is that the clubs that are being linked with all these moves - Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli - have all been taken over by the Saudi Public Investment Fund very recently. Only in the last couple of year have clubs in Saudi Arabia been legally allowed to be privatised companies, but it looks like there's a real push on the part of the Saudi state to pump up the status of the league through major investment in a select few clubs before selling these clubs into private hands.

Incidentally, I don't believe that the AFC has any FFP restrictions, which is why they can offer such exorbitant amounts of money with little prestige or revenue. I actually wouldn't be entirely surprised to see some owner in the Championship exploit this at some point. We already see it happen with European clubs, but the FFP still has to be balanced between them. What happens if the same arrangement happens but one of the parties has no FFP restrictions?

There was a good discussion om this on Football Weekly today. And how Saudi clubs have already got the best record in Asia after Japan and South Korea.

The general feeling is they will just keep throwing money at it and could soon start attracting younger players in their prime on huge money.

I wonder if the could even own(!)/form clubs in other countries and form their own super league? Some of the best players in the world playing for London FC at Wembley, FA getting untold millions to invest into rest of English League?  Reckon there would be demand for that, especially with very reasonable ticket prices.

Edited June 8, 2023 by ariotofmyown

[Day]

Sad to see. Whilst he didn't have a great time at Villa, did a decent job up at Rangers. To go out there at this stage of his career, just seems a huge backwards step to take given the Saudi league is only just starting to attract players.

 

[Srg]

1 minute ago, David said:

Sad to see. Whilst he didn't have a great time at Villa, did a decent job up at Rangers. To go out there at this stage of his career, just seems a huge backwards step to take given the Saudi league is only just starting to attract players.

 

Probably go earn more there in a year than he would in the next 10 years elsewhere. 

[Day]

7 minutes ago, Srg said:

Probably go earn more there in a year than he would in the next 10 years elsewhere. 

If money is the sole motivation, crack on I guess.

Would have thought his bank account would still have enough 0's to be worrying about money.

After Villa, needed a decent job to get himself back on track where you would have though they ambition is to replace Klopp when he leaves.

This move puts him in the abyss and any achievements wouldn't be taken seriously over here.

[Ram-Alf]

7 minutes ago, David said:

If money is the sole motivation, crack on I guess.

Would have thought his bank account would still have enough 0's to be worrying about money.

 

Rooney, Messi, Renaldo et al, All have bank accounts with a shed load on 000000s in it...init😁

Money/and continuing fame is the name of the game for these people, An easy life for great reward 🙄

[Bris Vegas]

How cynical are you lot? Steven Gerrard is clearly going there because of Etrifaq’s illustrious history, huge and passionate fanbase and to challenge in the Champions League.

[Ram-Alf]

Show me the money

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65945030

 

 

[Bessie1]

7 minutes ago, The Last Post said:

Show me the money

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65945030

 

 

I hope this backfires.  However many famous players they get, surely nobody will ever give a damn about the Saudi league.