Joan Laporta has said there are “no sporting reasons” for joining Saudi Arabia. Luis Garcia has said that “No one will be able to compete” with all their money. Many say that the league is “bad for the game”. I have too before, but I’ve given this league some serious thought, and I believe that the Saudi Pro League is actually good for the sport, the game, and the world of football.
Here are some numbers that I have to share with you here. Some concerning numbers. The Premier League, in 22/23, spent 3 billion euros in transfer fees. To put this massive number into perspective, that is more than all of the other top 5 European Leagues combined that season. Even the Premier League’s lowest spending season in the last 3 years (1.7bn) is over twice that of the highest spending season in the last 3 seasons in any of the other top 5 leagues (883m from the Serie A), and nearly triple that of the average across the leagues.
However, there is another layer to the Premier League’s monopoly, and that’s the monopoly of the entire top 5 leagues. The Eredivisie and Liga Portugal, in my opinion the two best European leagues outside the Top 5, have spent orders of magnitude less than even the lowest spending season in the last 3 from the top 5 leagues.
This is how it’s been for well over a decade, perhaps two or three decades, and it could be how it stays forever, if football doesn’t see a new challenger soon, that is. The Saudi League could be that new challenger for football. A challenger that football desperately needs.
Since Pele left Santos in 1974, Europe have distanced themselves from the rest of the world in football. They were the hot tourist destination and it hasn’t changed for 50 years. Saudi Arabia is looking to change that, and is looking to put Asia on a map, a continent that has historically underperformed when it comes to football. India and China, have only played a combined 3 World Cup games, not scoring a single goal.
The Saudi Pro League, while it’s gained much negative criticism, will be great for Asia in football, and will be great for football in general. While most may not see it at first, this league will be a massive blessing. If you’re still not convinced, I understand. Let me explain.
Superstars going to the Saudi League will generate interest in the sport in the country. The money going to the clubs can also be invested in youth facilities, and in turn, better players will be produced, which will thrust Saudi Arabia, and in turn, Asia, into the spotlight on a club and national level.
This is my view on why the Saudi Pro League is good for football. Over the course of the season, Bob and I will watch many Saudi Pro League matches and provide match reports on the blog. Stay tuned.