Why Several Players Wants to Leave Saudi Arabia Pro League After Only 6 Months
After the legendary Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo’s bitter exit from Manchester United in January 2023, and made a sensational move to Saudi Arabia Pro League side Al Nassr followed a massive exit from European stars to the Middle East nation.
Through the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia’s government took over four of their country’s top-flight clubs, including Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, and Al-Ahli in a bid to market itself as a true sports destination.
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After landing the signature of Cristiano Ronaldo to Al-Nassr for a contract of €200m (£177m) in salary per year. They started offering attractive wages to high-profile players across Europe where they secured notably big names from European clubs the plan was highly successful, with 2022 Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema moving to Al-Ittihad from Real Madrid together with his fellow Frenchman Ngolo Kante from Chelsea.
They also succeeded in securing the signing of the most expensive player of all-time Neymar Jr. from French Ligue1 giants PSG to Al-Hilal among other European-based players who moved to Saudi Pro League.
Shockingly, 6 months after witnessing several European stars moving to Saudi Arabia for big money that was being offered there, recently we have seen some players that want to leave Saudi Arabia led by English midfielder Jordan Henderson who has already left Al-Ittifaq for Ajax, Karim Benzema has also shown to be already fed up with the Saudi Pro League.
But what could be the reason for the same? let’s look at some of the reasons why the stars could be looking to exit the league.
1. Different Cultures
Saudi Arabia has been in the spotlight countless times due to its approach to women and LGBTQ community rights. As compared to Europe, social life in Saudi Arabia has been tough for most players to adapt to. It is prohibited for women to be in public places alone.
Additionally, the sale of alcohol to foreigners is strictly unlawful. Possible punishments, if found, include flogging and deportation. As it is also illegal for unmarried people living together in the country.
2. Unbearable Weather Conditions
Due to high temperatures experienced in the Middle East country, Jordan Henderson and his family are said to have struggled to settle in Dammam due to the hot weather conditions.
With the matches being held at temperatures of up to 40°C. Cristiano Ronaldo complained about the same in June last year.
3. Religion
Since Saudi Arabia is an Islamic country, everything is done there it should strictly follow the Sharia law which at times it may be hard for foreigners to adhere to, thus we are experiencing numerous stars who want to leave Saudi Arabia.
4. Few Fans Attending Matches
Despite huge investments in recent times by the government, fans have failed to turn up for the Saudi Pro League matches in large numbers. Unlike the fanbase the players were experiencing in Europe, In December, the Economic Times reported that only 144 people attended a match between Al-Riyadh and Al-Khaleej.
The report further claimed that Saudi Arabia remained the 5th most supported league in the Asia continent despite having world-class stars in their teams.
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