Topic: Saudi Arabia's raid of European clubs

[lobsterboy]

Is that true?  I thought he just deflected or skirted around it, I don't remember him saying that there's no human rights abuse going on in their country?

"Do you know the question you are asking to me?"

Or was that the illegal payments?
Hard to keep track with all Peps lies and obfuscating over the years.

[tubby]

"Do you know the question you are asking to me?"

Or was that the illegal payments?
Hard to keep track with all Peps lies and obfuscating over the years.

Yeah he's usually shifty with this sort of thing and never gives a direct answer.  Just gets arsey or skirts around it.

[Red-Soldier]

Astounds me people think that because someone gets rich and has millions they should hold the moral high ground and reject even more generational wealth. There’s no such thing as enough money. If the Saudis were offering regular jobs to all us regular every day workers at the same salary increase / period of time as footballers most of the country would be flocking there. If you want to make a stand fair play, but I feel like there’s a lot of hypocrisy in this thread and it’s easy to say this & that knowing you’ll never be presented with the decision.

Not for the greedy and super rich, no, there is not.

[The North Bank]

Everyone losing their heads over this saudi league, when youd all give your right arms for that sort of money .



Just bad jokes all round, as you were.

[Terry de Niro]

Everyone losing their heads over this saudi league, when youd all give your right arms for that sort of money .



Just bad jokes all round, as you were.

Some people would lose their heads for that type of blood money.

[red1977]

Is that true?  I thought he just deflected or skirted around it, I don't remember him saying that there's no human rights abuse going on in their country?

He has said that he has had asurances everything is above board and trusts them and supports them. (I know he is defending the cheating) and he praises them. I suppose you're right he hasn't said outright that there is no human rights abusing going on.

[Libertine]

This is what integrity and courage looks like. Sportswashing footballers and golfers take note.

https://twitter.com/SueMassa256/status/1677872717113049088
Anna Muzychuk is champion & queen of chess. She refused to play in Saudi Arabia.”I refuse to play with special rules, like wearing an Abaya, being accompanied by a man to leave the hotel. Will lose 2 world titles. It’s unfortunate, but I can’t feel like I’m a 2nd class person.

[mobydick]

This is what integrity and courage looks like. Sportswashing footballers and golfers take note.

https://twitter.com/SueMassa256/status/1677872717113049088
Anna Muzychuk is champion & queen of chess. She refused to play in Saudi Arabia.”I refuse to play with special rules, like wearing an Abaya, being accompanied by a man to leave the hotel. Will lose 2 world titles. It’s unfortunate, but I can’t feel like I’m a 2nd class person.

It's quite striking throughout history how many women "Man Up" when it comes to human, women's or general rights. Maybe the term should be renamed.

[dimwit]

It's quite striking throughout history how many women "Man Up" when it comes to human, women's or general rights. Maybe the term should be renamed.

Quite, it seems to be many men don't have the balls to do the right thing.

[Too early for flapjacks?]

This is what integrity and courage looks like. Sportswashing footballers and golfers take note.

https://twitter.com/SueMassa256/status/1677872717113049088
Anna Muzychuk is champion & queen of chess. She refused to play in Saudi Arabia.”I refuse to play with special rules, like wearing an Abaya, being accompanied by a man to leave the hotel. Will lose 2 world titles. It’s unfortunate, but I can’t feel like I’m a 2nd class person.

That is from 2017. There has certainly been significant change in Saudi since. Although it may not mean much in the grand scheme of things, taking a position like Anna's (not accepting being forced to wear the Abaya or being forced to be accompanied by a man if she wants to leave her hotel), help the collective effort.

[Jwils21]

Milinkovic Savic on his way there now, not long linked with United & Chelsea and only 28. Getting a bit much now this

[zabadoh]

It's a bit like Chinese Super League all over again. 

Wait a few years and things will collapse...

[Jean Girard]

100% related to the new Club World Cup all this stuff.  They won't want to miss out - soft power n'all.  That red-headed "Today I am a migrant worker" Swiss chump will be egging them on with petro-dollar signs in his eyes.   

[So… Howard Philips]

That is from 2017. There has certainly been significant change in Saudi since. Although it may not mean much in the grand scheme of things, taking a position like Anna's (not accepting being forced to wear the Abaya or being forced to be accompanied by a man if she wants to leave her hotel), help the collective effort.

A marked increase in the execution rate?

[JRed]

A marked increase in the execution rate?

official ones or unofficial ones?

[Red-Soldier]

It's a bit like Chinese Super League all over again. 

Wait a few years and things will collapse...

I think you're in with a surprise when they don't.  The Saudis wont be going away any time soon and I predict this is just the start of a wider takeover/power grab.

I'd be majorly surprised if they don't get a WC soon.

[stewil007]

official ones or unofficial ones?

yes

[Legs]

I think you're in with a surprise when they don't.  The Saudis wont be going away any time soon and I predict this is just the start of a wider takeover/power grab.

I'd be majorly surprised if they don't get a WC soon.

They will get a WC that is nailed on within next 10 years.

[Indomitable_Carp]

It's a bit like Chinese Super League all over again. 

Wait a few years and things will collapse...

I really don't see that happening. LIV Golf is the textbook here. Unlike the Chinese Super League, Saudi Arabia has a long-term state-backed plan for buying its way into the governance of football.

[Legs]

I really don't see that happening. LIV Golf is the textbook here. Unlike the Chinese Super League, Saudi Arabia has a long-term state-backed plan for buying its way into the governance of football.

Same I dont think they are going away anytime soon either.

As hard as it is the soultion for me personally is to not bother anymore.

[thaddeus]

I think you're in with a surprise when they don't.  The Saudis wont be going away any time soon and I predict this is just the start of a wider takeover/power grab.

I'd be majorly surprised if they don't get a WC soon.

I agree.  The Chinese Super League seemed to be about adding another string to the Chinese economy and when they realised it was a financial drain they pulled back.

Saudi Arabia seem to be going into this with their eyes open that it's going to cost them many billions up-front and many more over time to feed the machine.  The crossroads will be when they do get awarded a World Cup if they double-down on the domestic league investment or turn the taps off.

We shouldn't kid ourselves that a lot of players in the Premier League are primarily there for the money so we also shouldn't be surprised that many will go elsewhere - irrespective of where - if there's more money offered.  There's the draw of playing in "the best league in the world (tm)" but I think we can all appreciate that players like Diego Carlos didn't swap Seville for Birmingham for anything other than the big-money contract.

[Macc77]

Yep, this isn't going away. They want a World Cup and other international club comps, and I could even see them using the growing quality of their domestic league in 5-10 years time as a way for them to use Israel and Turkey as justifications for their clubs being in UEFA competitions. If that happens, you'll struggle to see any South American players move to Europe instead of there if CL football and five times the wages are on offer, and every decent footballer just below the top 4 or 5 in the major leagues will be angling for a move as well. We're relying on FIFA and UEFA to be the people who block their ambitions. So we're fucked.

[bird_lfc]

Bid for Mitrovic rejected by Fulham. Player wants to go to Saudi apparently

Prime of his career. Really sad but again not surprising.

[lfc_col]

There going to end football as we know it well done

[Black Bull Nova]

95% of the world's footballers play outside the PL but I still only watch the PL (well, Liverpool really)


Do I enjoy it less, no,


If that figure goes to 98% and some good players leave then I will not change, after all I do not miss all those excellent players who play in Europe or South America. If Liverpool lost their best 5 players I'd still enjoy watching Liverpool and would not feel any need to subscribe to Saudi TV to watch their games.


After all, the pull of the players they are buying only exists because they have made their names in big leagues in the first place.


The big thing is how they try and join in the club game, through the World Club Championship or joining some enlarged CL or super league. That's the line they really want to cross.

[lfc_col]

The big thing is how they try and join in the club game, through the World Club Championship or joining some enlarged CL or super league. That's the line they really want to cross.

There already in the world club championship aren't they our sides should be blocking them trying to join UEFA that would be absurd

[Black Bull Nova]

There already in the world club championship aren't they our sides should be blocking them trying to join UEFA that would be absurd

I know they are in it, they will be wanting to win it, to move up the credibility ladder

[Sudden Death Draft Loser]

There going to end football as we know it well done

Football is already done.

[Koplord]

I had a conversation about this today with some reds and IMO there are two likely outcomes.

1: The Saudis will buy their way into the CL and within a few years create the dominant league. Generally European football has gone in cycles with who has the best players which usually means the most tv money and revenue hence they have a period of domination. The way Spain and Italy etc have been squeezed financially by the PL is what will happen to all European leagues. They will create so much disparity between wages and transfer fees offered that all other leagues won’t  be able to compete. It will be like the Belgian league trying to compete with the PL as an example.

2. UEFA won’t allow them in and Saudi will then form their own super league of sorts and leagues like Spain and Italy will get into bed with them as the only way to survive. Apart from the PL most leagues are already financially struggling and they are going to be pushed to extinction by this Saudi thing as the PL off casts they usually buy are now being pilfered by Saudi meaning even less competition and a worse entertainment product which means less tv and advertising money. It’s will be the final nail in the coffin for a lot of these leagues. A Saudi super league will bring these leagues untold riches and uefa will get killed.

[shook]

It's not just sports washing, it is about another way to get money flowing in.
The Saudis understand that oil alone will not cut it, they have been trying to diversify in many ways, my guess is they are trying to eventually make the league competitive enough to attract enough TV viewers so they can get some of that money.
They'd have to take huge losses initially but it might be worth it later on, especially if they make the league attractive enough competitively to start attracting players in their prime.

[SamLad]

I think you're in with a surprise when they don't.  The Saudis wont be going away any time soon and I predict this is just the start of a wider takeover/power grab.

I'd be majorly surprised if they don't get a WC soon.

I think they're pretty well a lock for 2030 already?

[Avens]

I think they're pretty well a lock for 2030 already?

They withdrew their application for that.

[LovelyCushionedHeader]

They withdrew their application for that.

That was a joint bid with Egypt and Greece, and Egypt basically backed out because they'd got wind that Spain/Portugal/Morocco was preferred by CAF.

Saudi Arabia will go for a future World Cup bid by themselves.

[KillieRed]

It's a bit like Chinese Super League all over again. 

Wait a few years and things will collapse...

Their money is bottomless and they don’t have to pay a fair rate for a lot of things. Like labour costs. They’ll do this until they get control or are stopped. People at the top of governing bodies have been taking their money for a long time.

[SamLad]

They withdrew their application for that.

they did?  I read about it just a week or so back, didn't mention that.

edit: thanks!

[MD1990]

I have done a bit of research on Saudi Arabia.
I genuinely did not know the reports where that extreme. I dont trust mainstream media but no smoke withour fire & even video's of a beheading.
It really is truly appalling.
To see some players like Firmino & ex players go Gerrard & Fowler was disapointing but the pay rise you can understand.
I really thought there was no chance Henderson considering how socially consious he has claimed to be would do it. I still think he may back out of a move. It really does stain his character a bit now.

I would love to know how Klopp feels about this someone very socially consious.
I am confident he would never coach for a goverment funded team.

[SamLad]

I have done a bit of research on Saudi Arabia.
I genuinely did not know the reports where that extreme. I dont trust mainstream media but no smoke withour fire & even video's of a beheading.
It really is truly appalling.
To see some players like Firmino & ex players go Gerrard & Fowler was disapointing but the pay rise you can understand.
I really thought there was no chance Henderson considering how socially consious he has claimed to be would do it. I still think he may back out of a move. It really does stain his character a bit now.

I would love to know how Klopp feels about this someone very socially consious.
I am confident he would never coach for a goverment funded team.

if Hendo goes,  you just know that Jurgen will be on the spot in UK media interviews to justify that decision, the poor bastard.

[Avens]

I have done a bit of research on Saudi Arabia.
I genuinely did not know the reports where that extreme. I dont trust mainstream media but no smoke withour fire & even video's of a beheading.
It really is truly appalling.
To see some players like Firmino & ex players go Gerrard & Fowler was disapointing but the pay rise you can understand.
I really thought there was no chance Henderson considering how socially consious he has claimed to be would do it. I still think he may back out of a move. It really does stain his character a bit now.

I would love to know how Klopp feels about this someone very socially consious.
I am confident he would never coach for a goverment funded team.

What trustworthy sources of news do you use, out of interest?

[MD1990]

What trustworthy sources of news do you use, out of interest?

In terms of health Andrew Huberman I would trust.
Sports news Joyce & Ornstein.
I like John Campbell his reports about Covid very objective.
I just dont follow mainstream media really always an agenda they will push Covid being a prime example.
Even like studies about food which I am interested in for health purposes I just dont know what to believe.
RTE news i would have trusted although they are very very negative.

[Dim Glas]

if Hendo goes,  you just know that Jurgen will be on the spot in UK media interviews to justify that decision, the poor bastard.

to be honest, I think people will be surprised at how he’ll respond, i.e. he’ll probably not say anything ‘bad’ about Henderson or what Saudi are doing, and will just say it’s an opportunity he couldn’t refuse.