The collapse of the Saudi league or why no project will be able to compete with European football

Memory can play tricks on us if we do not exercise it regularly. That has happened to the Saudi league, which thought it was reinventing modern football with its aggressive checkbook transfer strategy, longing for legends in low hours or players who were looking for a golden retirement for their families. Rustin Cohle, iconic character from True Detectivemasterfully played by Matthew McConaughey, said that “time is a flat circle.”

Although the phrase is a philosophical reference to Friedrich Nietzsche's concept of eternal return, it is still perfectly applicable to life and football. Everything repeats itself over and over again in an infinite time loop. When Saudi Arabia decided last year to break the bank and make its competition a giant of world football, it was nothing more than picking up the gauntlet of other foreign leagues that tried (and failed) before them in the past.

The American MLS, the Chinese league, Japan, Qatar, Mexico and even Australia have been Saudi Arabia's predecessors in this takeover bid that is hostile to European football. Pele played for the New York Cosmos; Guardiola in Sinaloa and Al-Alhy in Qatar; Andrés Iniesta in the Japanese Vissel Kobe; Xavi in ​​Al-Saad; Del Piero at Sydney FC; Gerrard, like Beckham, at the Los Angeles Galaxy; Kubala at the Toronto Falcons; Butragueño and Míchel in Mexican Celaya, to name a few examples.

The concept of gold withdrawal and petrodollar was already invented before Mohamed bin Salman, crown prince of Saudi Arabia, launched a long-term strategy for football in his country. With the 2034 World Cup on the horizon, the Saudi league got tired of waiting for footballers to choose their clubs to begin their downhill climb and began burning money at a dizzying pace.

In summer, the competition spent 1,000 million dollars on signings. Obviously, the biggest acquisition was that of Cristiano Ronaldo by the Al-Nassr, who signed until 2025 for 200 million per season. More or less in those months, names of the stature of Karim BenzemaNeymar Jr., N'Golo KantéSadio ManéJordan Henderson, Riyadh MahrezGabri Veiga or Kalidou Koulibaly.

Although we all know that what surrounds the Saudi league is more gloomy than the novel The tunnel, by Ernesto Sabato, the players go there to collect their salaries doing what they know, playing football. The arrival of CR7 unleashed a wave of criticism, many of them from meapilas who would do the same in their work environments. Because, in the end, life is about filling the fridge, no matter what you do.

The 2023/2024 season started and it seemed that yes, that the Saudi league would be successful, that it could get closer, even minimally, to the European football ecosystem. But prestige and glory continue without stopping in the desert.

The decline of the Saudi league

With the exception of Cristiano Ronaldo, whose professionalism and competitive hunger It will be studied in football schools, the list of shots in the Saudi competition is important. Karim Benzema, second Ballon d'Or to set foot on the green Arab pastures, who has been wanted and captured during the preseason due to non-appearance, has been devalued to 15 million.

Like him, dozens. Henderson, Kanté, Mané, Veiga and Neymar are several of the usual suspects. Especially bloody is the case of the Brazilian, who went partying with a broken cruciate. The average 8,000 spectators in the stadiums and the lack of passion of the Saudi fans are two conditions that are pushing the leaders to throw in the towel.

Although the World Cup that they will host in a decade is a huge incentive to maintain the project, the reality is that in the winter market they have spent only 23 million euros for a footballer, Renan Lodi. That is, an investment 41 times less than that of the summer. Only 9 of the 18 clubs in the Saudi league have made a move in the market. Except for the arrival of the Brazilian, the remaining 22 players who have animated the winter window have been zero cost.

Clear symptom of the exhaustion that the competition suffers in such a short time of life. In the end, as much as it hurts the presidents and sheikhs, It is absolutely impossible to get close to Europe. I'm not just talking about the big teams or the Champions League, any league, whether First or Second, has a thousand times more recognition, following and prestige than any empty attempt by these countries to artificially create something similar. Let's enjoy Europe while we can, once the last bastion of existing football purity.