Fulham sold Mitrovic, age 28, to al Hilal. Other foreigners at the club include a Canadian goalie, Koulibaly, Neymar
(where did it all go wrong, Neymar?) , a journeyman South Korean, Milinkovic (ex Lazio) , Neves, and a Brazilian called Malcolm.
https://www.transfermarkt.com/al-hilal-riad/startseite/verein/1114
It reminds me of club football or a third class football league with a few decent players and the rest donkeys , evenly distributed across the class.
The standard is only as good as the weakest players.
Mrs Merton to Debbie McGee"So what attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels?"
Tried to watch it one night and IIRC it was between Stevie G's outfit and Ronaldo's team (Ronaldo was injured) but it was pretty much unwatchable. The atmosphere alone was terrible never mind the quality of football on show. A few decent players scattered across the league isn't enough to save it.
Might get interesting if they start beheading under performing western stars.
The sad thing is that content king and you have so many dopes who will like and share a clip of Benzema or Ronaldo banging in a 'worldy' that keeps the overlords happy.
The games might be muck but they really don't care.
Sounds a bit like the Premier league. Increasingly unwatchable
Now is not the end state. They probably have only 20% of the players they want. It could get a lot worse.
I wouldn't worry about slowed down ex Liverpool midfielders.
Someone like Mitrovic is a huge loss to the EPL. 52 international goals. Serbia is poor so you can understand the lure of Saudi but he is only 28. Fulham will really miss him .
The weaker clubs will be most impacted by saudi raids for players in their prime to feed the beast and EPL competitiveness will weaken.
It's part of a longer process for them. Melissa Reddy was on sky sports news last night and said she was talking to someone behind the Saudi league who told her the project is moving alot faster than they predicted and that they were moving up their plans.
They've tried this shit in Japan and China and it didn't take off. If there isn't a fanbase in the host country it's going nowhere.
Quote from: Tony Baloney on September 02, 2023, 03:47:17 PM
They've tried this shit in Japan and China and it didn't take off. If there isn't a fanbase in the host country it's going nowhere.
They're is an absolutely enormous soccer fanbase in both Japan and Saudi.
If the aim is sportswashing the fanbase may be a secondary consideration.
I China and Japan the objective was to make money. If the league was not self-sustaining quickly it would collapse.
In Saudi that is a secondary consideration and they can afford to absorb the losses for longer.
The Saudi league is potentially a mortal threat to the EPL. If they get the proportion of decent players above say 60% the TV income in England will be hit , as will club valuations.
Until now the EPL had no predators.
There are 18 clubs. Say they need 20 decent players in a squad at an average price of €50m . That's only €18 bn for Saudi.
Or they could take the Liverpool approach and buy young players cheap in order to develop them and sell them on.
Punters would pay to watch matches and the stadiums are already there.
the EPL can't be a golden goose forever
No it's the beginning of. The end..
Thanks be to Jaysis.
Quote from: Jell 0 Biafra on September 03, 2023, 01:42:10 AM
Thanks be to Jaysis.
They could have bought that Dutch midfielder that Liverpool just bought for another 10m.They could be a lot more devious.
A lot of club owners won't follow the Saudis in pricing and if their TV revenues fall it could get very interesting.
Quote from: gallsman on September 02, 2023, 04:01:31 PM
Quote from: Tony Baloney on September 02, 2023, 03:47:17 PM
They've tried this shit in Japan and China and it didn't take off. If there isn't a fanbase in the host country it's going nowhere.
They're is an absolutely enormous soccer fanbase in both Japan and Saudi.
Camel league. No one cares. Was tried in Japan, America, China and never worked and this will be the same. No one wants to win the Sand Champions League. And nobody cares who does.
Quote from: trailer on September 03, 2023, 07:35:22 PM
Quote from: gallsman on September 02, 2023, 04:01:31 PM
Quote from: Tony Baloney on September 02, 2023, 03:47:17 PM
They've tried this shit in Japan and China and it didn't take off. If there isn't a fanbase in the host country it's going nowhere.
They're is an absolutely enormous soccer fanbase in both Japan and Saudi.
Camel league. No one cares. Was tried in Japan, America, China and never worked and this will be the same. No one wants to win the Sand Champions League. And nobody cares who does.
Sports fans would pay to watch 2 flies competing in a window challenge.
Saudi can potentially sell matches all over the world.
The game changer will be when they buy their way into the European Champions League. It will happen.
Quote from: From the Bunker on September 03, 2023, 10:25:08 PM
The game changer will be when they buy their way into the European Champions League. It will happen.
The champions league is already a farce anyway , so it hardly matters. And next year , it will be the european super league by another name
Quote from: AustinPowers on September 03, 2023, 10:41:38 PM
Quote from: From the Bunker on September 03, 2023, 10:25:08 PM
The game changer will be when they buy their way into the European Champions League. It will happen.
The champions league is already a farce anyway , so it hardly matters. And next year , it will be the european super league by another name
Oh it does matter, apart from players wanting to earn good money, they what the high profile international exposure the Uefa Champions League offers. Players sign for clubs that are Champions League regulars.
The new club world cup format from 2025 will give these saudi teams global exposure
Quote from: Tony Baloney on September 02, 2023, 03:47:17 PM
They've tried this shit in Japan and China and it didn't take off. If there isn't a fanbase in the host country it's going nowhere.
They hadn't the literal billions being thrown at it. Neymar is some boy, had the ability to go on and be talked about along with Messi and Ronaldo instead he picked the handy money.
I'd say he knows himself he's not near that level. Why not get filthy rich? Or even more so.
Quote from: Jell 0 Biafra on September 04, 2023, 02:49:16 AM
I'd say he knows himself he's not near that level. Why not get filthy rich? Or even more so.
Pre PSG he could have hit close to their level. Anyway can't blame any of them for going to Saudi for that money.
Quote from: From the Bunker on September 03, 2023, 10:25:08 PM
The game changer will be when they buy their way into the European Champions League. It will happen.
Israel is also in the Middle East and has been a member of UEFA for years. The rules are flexible.
Quote from: From the Bunker on September 03, 2023, 10:58:15 PM
Quote from: AustinPowers on September 03, 2023, 10:41:38 PM
Quote from: From the Bunker on September 03, 2023, 10:25:08 PM
The game changer will be when they buy their way into the European Champions League. It will happen.
The champions league is already a farce anyway , so it hardly matters. And next year , it will be the european super league by another name
Oh it does matter, apart from players wanting to earn good money, they what the high profile international exposure the Uefa Champions League offers. Players sign for clubs that are Champions League regulars.
The Champions League is also being weakened. That's the problem with building soccer around money.
https://www.transfermarkt.com/saudi-professional-league/startseite/wettbewerb/SA1
Quote from: seafoid on September 03, 2023, 07:56:38 PM
Quote from: trailer on September 03, 2023, 07:35:22 PM
Quote from: gallsman on September 02, 2023, 04:01:31 PM
Quote from: Tony Baloney on September 02, 2023, 03:47:17 PM
They've tried this shit in Japan and China and it didn't take off. If there isn't a fanbase in the host country it's going nowhere.
They're is an absolutely enormous soccer fanbase in both Japan and Saudi.
Camel league. No one cares. Was tried in Japan, America, China and never worked and this will be the same. No one wants to win the Sand Champions League. And nobody cares who does.
Sports fans would pay to watch 2 flies competing in a window challenge.
Saudi can potentially sell matches all over the world.
No they won't. Nobody cares. A few seasons and they'll find it difficult to attract players.
Quote from: trailer on September 04, 2023, 08:23:17 PM
Quote from: seafoid on September 03, 2023, 07:56:38 PM
Quote from: trailer on September 03, 2023, 07:35:22 PM
Quote from: gallsman on September 02, 2023, 04:01:31 PM
Quote from: Tony Baloney on September 02, 2023, 03:47:17 PM
They've tried this shit in Japan and China and it didn't take off. If there isn't a fanbase in the host country it's going nowhere.
They're is an absolutely enormous soccer fanbase in both Japan and Saudi.
Camel league. No one cares. Was tried in Japan, America, China and never worked and this will be the same. No one wants to win the Sand Champions League. And nobody cares who does.
Sports fans would pay to watch 2 flies competing in a window challenge.
Saudi can potentially sell matches all over the world.
No they won't. Nobody cares. A few seasons and they'll find it difficult to attract players.
I bet a fiver on fly #2 that they will.
they'll build it up consistently and it's only £18bn
What happens when they want to enter the champions league but they will then have to comply with financial fair play? will we see similar tactics that city have used and all these magic sponsorships will appear out of thin air