Football Is Passion

Former Liverpool & Bayern Star Sadio Mane joined legend, Cristiano Ronaldo, in his iconic ‘siuuuuu’ celebration after leading Al-Nassr into the quarter-finals of the Arab Club Champions Cup.

Named alongside summer signings Mane, Alex Tellis, and Marcelo Brozovic in the starting XI, Ronaldo came into the match having scored in both of his previous starts in the competition.

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After just 19 minutes, Ronaldo opened the scoring for Morocco against Raja CA, giving his side the lead with a first-time strike from the edge of the box with his weaker foot.

As he headed towards the corner flag in celebration, Ronaldo joined Mane in showing off his flamboyant celebration at the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Stadium.

Saudi Arabia international Sultan Al Ghanim doubled the side’s lead after 29 minutes before former Fulham star Siko Fofana added a third.

Twenty years to the day since the Primera Liga club’s victory over Manchester United in a pre-season friendly, the shirt was released.

The Portugal star put on a show that will go down in football folklore, on that day in 2003. The reigning Premier League champions were so impressed with the 18-year-old that they begged Sir Alex Ferguson to help him after the game.

Mohamed Salah & Kevin De Bruyne:

Despite snapping up a number of top stars, the Saudi Pro League is not holding back on its European spending as it turns its sights to Premier League stars Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne.

Many current European stars have already traveled to Saudi Arabia, including Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo, Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante, Eduard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, Newcastle’s Alain Saint-Maximin and De Bruyne’s city-mates. Riyad Mahrez is included.

Liverpool strikers Salah and Man City Midfielder De Bruyne in the summer of 2024 may be tempted by lucrative offers from the Saudi Pro League.

Saudi Pro League Boost High:

In recent weeks, the Pro League has also secured the services of some of Salah’s current and former teammates, snatching Fabinho, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino from Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr and Al-Ahly, respectively.

The large contracts offered by the Saudis proved too tempting for many players.

Henderson has been offered a plentiful package and is currently on a £700,000-per-week salary, with other stars such as Mahrez (£850,000-per-week) and Karim Benzema (£3.8m-per-week) on hefty wages too.

While the league initially attracted those at the end of their careers, such as Ronaldo, the SPL continues to look at younger players.

They have already lured the 24-year-old Portuguese striker Jota from Celtic, securing his transfer with a bid of £25m, and signed the 26-year-old former Barcelona player Malcom from Zenit St Petersburg.

And it’s not just players who are making the move, as many top flight managers and famous football names are heading to the Middle East.

Steven Gerrard took charge of the deal after his sacking by Aston Villa, with his wages reportedly at £15.2m a year, while former Wolves and Tottenham coach Nuno Espirito Santo is in charge of the federation.

Other notable names include Slaven Bilic (The Conqueror) and Robbie Fowler (Al Qadisiyah) while the current Fulham boss rejected a £40m bid to move away from West London.

With such an enormous pool of resources and the influx of high-profile players into Saudi Arabia, the nation’s influence in the world of football continues to grow.

Saudi Pro League Spend More Money Than Premier League:

While the Premier League’s summer transfer window closes on September 1, the SPL have less than three more weeks to complete signings.

This is because their transfer window will only open on July 1 and will therefore close on September 20, which could leave a number of teams without the ability to redeem any expenses or until Jurgen Klopp complained to FIFA.

With so many players already making the move, there would be no surprises if many decide that life in the Middle East, along with all its financial benefits, is just what they’re looking for.