August 10, (THEWILL) – The new Saudi Pro League (SPL) football season kicks off on Friday, marking a new era for the sport in the Gulf kingdom.
Saudi clubs have spent close to half a billion dollars to lure top players and coaches from Europe’s biggest teams, assembling star-studded squads that seemed unimaginable just a year ago. The Saudi Public Investment Fund’s project to invest in clubs has transformed teams like reigning champions Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr.
Al-Ahli and Al-Hazm were in the second division last season but meet in the opener on Friday with new signings like Riyad Mahrez, Edouard Mendy and Roberto Firmino. Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr last season paved the way for more big names, as the league grew to 18 teams. Al-Ittihad brought in Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Fabinho. Al-Nassr signed Sadio Mane from Bayern Munich and Marcelo Brozovic from Inter.
Despite the influx of stars, Al-Nassr’s coach Luis Castro said the big names do not necessarily guarantee success. “The message must reach everyone, which is that Al-Nassr win thanks to the group, not the individuals,” he stated. Even though the season will commence on Friday, the transfer window remains open until September 7, with clubs still looking to strengthen.
Liverpool legends Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson, moved to Al-Ettifaq, the first English coach and player lured to Saudi football. These big names will ensure a lot of interest is generated for the SPL and it will be interesting to see how that translates to positive returns for the Saudi Kingdom, given criticisms it faces on the back of its poor human rights record.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
