2023-09-15 05:00:00
Since the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, the Saudi Pro League is the new attraction in world football. With transfers of Neymar, Karim Benzema or Sadio Mane, Saudi clubs livened up this summer transfer window. With millions and incredible salaries, many players have decided to exile themselves in this championship of excess.
A lucrative choice which might ultimately prove to be unprofitable sportingly for certain players? The reason: Saudi clubs can register a maximum of 8 foreign players in the league. Portuguese Whom is the first victim. Recruited for around 30 million euros from Celtic Glasgow, the 24-year-old winger will not play with Al-Ittihad in the league due to lack of place in this list. The club would have decided to select: Karim Benzema, Ngolo Kanté, Romarinho, Abderrazak Hamdallah, Fabinho, Marcelo Grohe, Igor Coronado et Luiz Felipe. The Portuguese therefore finds himself on the sidelines and without any real way out.
However, this case is not the first. Vincent Aboubakar experienced the same situation last season. When Cristiano Ronaldo arrived, Al-Nassr decided to terminate the Cameroonian international’s contract to make room for the Portuguese star. “It wasn’t easy. Cristiano arrived, a player had to leave. Rudy Garcia called me into my office and told me an international player had to leave”the Cameroonian striker explained to Canal + at the time.
Just like Al-Ittihad, other clubs in the Saudi Pro League will have to make choices. Of the 18 Saudi teams, 13 teams have more than 8 foreign players. With around 800 million euros spent during this transfer window, Saudi Arabia ranks second among the biggest spending countries behind England.
In view of this situation, have the Saudi clubs not played their own game? Would excess have certain limits? There is no doubt that Saudi leaders will try to adapt this rule for future seasons.
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