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As camera lenses focused on Premier League managers at the start of the season, it was a fair question from football reporters to ask to what extent the Saudi Pro League was rivalling European competitions. Pep Guardiola had just lost Riyad Mahrez, a key member of his Treble-winning team, to Al-Ahli and Aymeric Laporte would soon join Al-Nassr.
“Just a few months ago, a year ago, when Cristiano Ronaldo was the only one leaving, no one could imagine the number of high-level, quality and normal players who were going to play in the Saudi league,” he said. The Manchester club’s city manager said: “I think in the short and long term this will happen more and more. “
Six months later, most of the top, top players are still there, but some cracks have started to appear. Jordan Henderson, the only English foreigner to move to Saudi Arabia this summer, has returned to Europe after failing to settle. in Al-Ettifaq. His former Liverpool teammate, Roberto Firmino, cannot sign for the Al-Ahli squad, which has created uncertainty about his long career at the club.
And Real Madrid’s marvellous Karim Benzema raised questions about whether he would be available when he was absent from Al-Ittihad’s mid-season educational camp, the SPL Asian Cup break. Sources insist the 36-year-old is not moving, but the feeling of this window is different from that of the summer.
The Saudis were offering £150m for Mohamed Salah on the final day of the deadline, although this time there has been less movement and each and every club has already completed their eight bids for foreign players. They increase the quota to 10 at the end of the season to allow for a greater force of attraction in the market.
When Henderson was interviewed via The Athletic about his Saudi resolution, he insisted that the resolution was “positive” and used the word continuously to justify his resolution. Six months later, his brief stint in the Middle East only highlighted the negatives a player can face.
The decision, Henderson said in his farewell, was because of his family. They failed to settle and moving to Saudi Arabia would be an upheaval for any family. “I’ll keep watching & hoping for your success,” was how Henderson signed off, although he will be one of the few, with the current England international playing in front of crowds that dipped under 1,000 at times.
His unfortunate stint in the SPL proved that it takes a certain type of player to adapt to this new environment. And it’s worth sticking to as well. Players who move to Saudi Arabia will only get a tax-free source of income after spending a monetary year total outside the UK. The Telegraph revealed that Henderson had deferred his salary, possibly for tax reasons, no doubt over whether he would be paid in full for his time at Al-Ettifaq.
Hfinisherson’s saga may simply be a turning point for SPL. Do they disappear like China’s Super League, which broke movement records in 2016 for Chelsea’s Ramires and paid Graziano Pelle more than £250,000 a week, but temporarily imposed money rules, adding a salary?Cap. After falling into insignificance, Covid wiped out some clubs.
Saudi Arabia has at least the World Cup in its pocket and will host the world’s biggest tournament in 2034. They still have Neymar, even if he’s injured at the moment. And there’s no sign that the money is running out. But will they have any other England internationals in existence?The last time Gareth Southgate spoke about Henderson, he said he planned to pass out to watch him play, but hadn’t done so yet. With Henderson booed by his own fans when he played at Wembley, it would seem that this poses a major threat. for the player to advance in the major European leagues of the SPL.
Some were satisfied with this decision. Anecdotally, there seems to be a difference between those who sign up for the 4 clubs belonging to Saudi Arabia’s “Public Investment Fund” (PIF) and those from other groups. Henderson was at a non-PIF club and Steven Gerrard, the manager of Al-Ettifaq, explained how they are laying the foundations for a new stadium and educational base.
“We knew from the beginning that it was a vital and complicated job. We had to put in place new infrastructure, such as the structure of a new educational floor in stages and the structure of a new stadium. But a lot has been achieved,” Gerrard said.
“The Saudi league is very competitive. There are some notable players. Some notable coaches. They know they’re not in the top five sensible in the world, but they’re determined to get as close as possible.
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