Saudi Arabia Premier league

[Yarrgh]

Ah yes. I remember this like it was only yesterday.

Treated us like cursed goats did that jackal when he went off to Greece.

 

[JimmyJeffers]

Treated us like cursed goats did that jackal when he went off to Greece.

Let’s not forget the disdain with which he treated his young cows.

 

[YoboCopter]

Henderson been offerd 700k a week by the looks

 

[ClausThomsen]

Are any of these Saudi teams making sort of normal signings? Like squad filler types for £6m. Or are they exclusively signing aging stars or half-decent players for hyperinflated fees?

Is it like China, when you'd get Oscar and Hulk playing with a bunch of Chinese amateurs?

Saudi football in general is pretty healthy in terms of relative quality when compared to China. Unlike China they are one of the top international sides in the AFC and have being doing a decent job of competing with the more traditional footballing powers there such as Japan, South Korea and Iran.

And they're not 'buying' football. LIV merged with the PGA, which was a ridiculous decision in my opinion, but for the Saudis to be buying football they'd have to be merging with FIFA. If that happens, well then so be it.

I think they'll more likely look to further increase influence within FIFA as they're already a considerable part of it. No doubt they'll be looking to get extremely involved with Africa and the Champions League format being pushed there by CAF. That can bring more voting bloc alliances within FIFA to tilt power away from the traditional UEFA & CONMEBOL bases.

 

[JLW]

Henderson been offerd 700k a week by the looks

He is removing his rainbow laces as we speak

 

[GoldenToffee]

Lol at Jordan Rainbow Laces Henderson about to go there. He'll have shown himself up big time if he agrees a move there, but of course will have a carefully crafted PR sheet to read from indicating how he's there to learn their culture and help bring a greater sense of understanding to their country. As if the £20-30m he's already got in the bank isn't enough like.

 

[Walken]

Extremely disappointed to see Savic go there while still in his peak. I think the sport has opened itself up to something it won't be able to control.

 

[Walken]

Nah Ferdinand has a good point. And Carragher acting like a petulant child when criticised as usual. What 40 odd year old uses emojis like that ffs? Embarrassing.

Carragher was whingeing like mad that the Saudis have the audacity to do what the Premier League, La Liga, and Seria A (decades ago) used to do by offering money nobody else could compete with. It's not comparable with golf.

And they're not 'buying' football. LIV merged with the PGA, which was a ridiculous decision in my opinion, but for the Saudis to be buying football they'd have to be merging with FIFA. If that happens, well then so be it.

People speak as if the Saudis are the only ones involved within negotiations and people are going against their will. It's really weird.

I don't think anyone thinks its just the Saudi's involved in negations, in fact that is where the fear comes from. The so called custodians of football will happily negotiate with them and make whatever concessions to disgusting people that makes them personally richer.

Also, using the term 'merged' to state they didn't buy golf and won't buy football is an odd defence. There are literally thousands of examples of companies or corporations using the term merger for what is essentially an aggressive buyout, including a pay off for the shareholders and uncertainty for those below.

Ferdinand is a cretin who sounds like he learned to speak English last week, I don't know of a single football fan that speaks of the prem as an organisation of morality, they just happen to be the one their team is involved in.

 

[Encoder]

Extremely disappointed to see Savic go there while still in his peak. I think the sport has opened itself up to something it won't be able to control.

I feel like we have reached the logical endpoint of the trend starting with Sky and the Premier league in the early 90s.

 

[anton66]

Lol at Jordan Rainbow Laces Henderson about to go there. He'll have shown himself up big time if he agrees a move there, but of course will have a carefully crafted PR sheet to read from indicating how he's there to learn their culture and help bring a greater sense of understanding to their country. As if the £20-30m he's already got in the bank isn't enough like.

He’ll be found out playing in that heat with asthma.

 

[Baines' left foot]

I don't think anyone thinks its just the Saudi's involved in negations, in fact that is where the fear comes from. The so called custodians of football will happily negotiate with them and make whatever concessions to disgusting people that makes them personally richer.

Also, using the term 'merged' to state they didn't buy golf and won't buy football is an odd defence. There are literally thousands of examples of companies or corporations using the term merger for what is essentially an aggressive buyout, including a pay off for the shareholders and uncertainty for those below.

Ferdinand is a cretin who sounds like he learned to speak English last week, I don't know of a single football fan that speaks of the prem as an organisation of morality, they just happen to be the one their team is involved in.

You make good points and I don’t necessarily disagree. In my opinion the vast sums of money that have been in the game for many years have destroyed the open nature of sport, so to me it doesn’t really feel like sport any more. This is just another step in that direction, albeit could be the start of something bigger, as you’ve alluded to.

I’m not sure how to articulate this, but to me it’s just like another rung on the ladder of greed. The ladder was put up years ago and we’re now shocked some are reaching the top rungs. It’s hard for me to not feel apathetic as more sell their souls.

I understand the disappointment entirely, just not the surprise or moral outrage to the extent that I’ve seen.

 

[Billy Dean]

I feel like we have reached the logical endpoint of the trend starting with Sky and the Premier league in the early 90s.

This.

 

[Walken]

You make good points and I don’t necessarily disagree. In my opinion the vast sums of money that have been in the game for many years have destroyed the open nature of sport, so to me it doesn’t really feel like sport any more. This is just another step in that direction, albeit could be the start of something bigger, as you’ve alluded to.

I’m not sure how to articulate this, but to me it’s just like another rung on the ladder of greed. The ladder was put up years ago and we’re now shocked some are reaching the top rungs. It’s hard for me to not feel apathetic as more sell their souls.

I understand the disappointment entirely, just not the surprise or moral outrage to the extent that I’ve seen.

Totally agree with that, as @Encoder said this is the natural next step for the sport since they opened their arms to wide eyed capitalism.

When you look at what clubs, certainly outside the top 6, still mean on a community level, its pretty sad, but its destination was set in place by very very greedy men years ago who never kicked a ball in their lives.

 

[Yarrgh]

Henderson been offerd 700k a week by the looks

That's a whole month of Wednesday wives.

 

[pedro789]

He is removing his rainbow laces as we speak

These are my principles. But if you don't like them, I've got some other ones.