The news that Jordan Henderson will be joining ex-team mate Stevie G in the Arab kingdom came as no real shock. Henderson is 33 and has only a few years left as a pro footy player before retirement. If he were to stay in England it would be, most likely, with a Championship team on a few grand a week. Why not cash in and get the millions with a move to Saudi Arabia, just like his predecessors who moved to China and the USA?
What is more surprising is that younger players are going too. Ruben Neves has already signed and Aleks Mitrovic is reportedly close to going. These are players that attracted interest from big clubs in Europe. Why would you spend the best years of your life and career in an inferior league? Well, for the dough obviously. Not for the lifestyle, weather or the quality of the league. I just don't get it.
The Saudi Sovereign Wealth fund is changing sport. They have already bought golf and boxing and are now trying to take over football. Already there is pressure on FIFA to expand the World Club Cup to a 32-team competition to rival the UEFA Champions League. With the recent attempt to create a European Super League, you get the impression that big change is coming to football. There is just too much money and too many opportunities for sportswashing for the status quo to remain.
The Saudi Sovereign Wealth fund is changing sport. They have already bought golf and boxing and are now trying to take over football. Already there is pressure on FIFA to expand the World Club Cup to a 32-team competition to rival the UEFA Champions League. With the recent attempt to create a European Super League, you get the impression that big change is coming to football. There is just too much money and too many opportunities for sportswashing for the status quo to remain.
Jealousy is a problem too. The Spanish and Italian giants are jealous of the English and the rest of the world is jealous of UEFA. Are we facing a 16-team European Super League where the top 8 qualify for a 32-team World Club Cup? Would that be a bad thing if it did happen?
The Saudis are footy mad, Maybe we should just be happy that they are seeing their league prosper and attracting the best players. I just get a bad feeling about all of this. This is probably based on my dislike of the Saudi government and its attempts at sportswashing. But at the end of the day are they any worse than the Chinese, Russians or Americans? Footy is, most definitely, a victim of its own success.
Now that City have won the treble, maybe I should just go back to my roots at Windsor Park, support the wee Blues again and let the big leagues get on with it.
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| Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports |
Where is the BDS campaign against Saudi sportswashing?
ReplyDeleteThe regime should have been boycotted a long time ago.
DeleteIf Australia can enter Eurovision , how long until a Saudi club plays in the C L ?
ReplyDeleteIf they get players like Mbappe they will be in the CL
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