There was loads of speak in regards to the rise {of professional} soccer inside Saudi Arabia. Though beforehand comparatively unknown, the Saudi Professional League basically exploded onto the scene when Cristiano Ronaldo determined to affix Al Nassr in January. The transfer could have shocked many across the globe, however cash actually talked.

Ronaldo is at the moment incomes over $200 million per season to play for Al Nassr. The Saudi league, nonetheless, didn’t simply cease on the Portuguese celebrity. Groups contained in the Center Japanese nation mixed to spend almost $1 billion in switch charges in the course of the summer time switch market.

One in all these transfers was former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson. The midfielder moved to Al-Ettifaq in a deal price round $15 million. Together with the transfer, Henderson additionally reportedly obtained a large pay increase as effectively. Regardless of the bump in wage, the previous Pink claimed that the change was not motivated by cash.

Many Saudi top-flight matches are seen by fewer than 1,000 followers

Regardless of the numerous spending by the Saudis to usher in prime gamers, followers will not be precisely flocking to the stadiums. In actual fact, a latest matchup between Al-Riyadh and Al Okhdood was reportedly performed in entrance of simply 133 followers. The 2 groups weren’t a part of the large summer time spending contained in the Saudi Professional League.

Nonetheless, the aforementioned recreation was not an outlier for the league. Henderson’s Al-Ettifaq supposedly confronted off towards Abha with simply 976 followers within the stands. The midfielder beforehand performed in entrance of over 50,000 screaming followers at Anfield. Reported common attendance figures for the Saudi Professional League are at the moment round 8,000 per match. Nonetheless, that is closely weighted on prime matchups.