Football landscapes worldwide have witnessed ambitious projects veiled by geo-political agendas aimed at elevating leagues to global prominence. Among them, the Saudi Pro League project and the Chinese Super League stand out as significant endeavors in the recent past.
The Chinese Super League took the football world by storm in 2016 with a flurry of expensive high profile transfers. It was only three years ago that Gareth Bale was reportedly upset that he was denied a big money move to join the likes of Oscar, Hulk and Marouane Fellaini in the lucrative Chinese Super League.
The Chinese Super League, during its peak, experienced a ‘gold rush’ of sorts. President Xi’s declaration of being a football fan ignited fervor within the football industry.
Chinese clubs, backed by wealthy owners and corporations, splurged on astronomical salaries and transfer fees to entice global superstars.
China’s vast market potential and government support further fueled their pursuit. However, the anticipated political influence failed to materialise, as the Chinese political system proved intricate and unpredictable and it eventually led to its decline.
In contrast, the Saudi Pro League project under the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) follows a distinct strategy. Saudi Arabia, an autocratic state laden with petro dollars, seeks to extend its influence globally.
To do so, the Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman has launched various projects in multiple fronts including sports, entertainment, media etc.
The Saudi Pro League project is the latest which has made headlines this summer. Earlier this month it was announced that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has taken over the four big clubs in the Saudi Pro League, namely, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr, and Al-Ahli as part of the Kingdom’s Sports Clubs Investment and Privatization Project.
The PIF’s significant financial backing, combined with the country’s political structure, sets it apart from the Chinese Super League.
The Saudi Pro League aims to enhance the league’s image and establish itself among the world’s best. Recent high-profile signings, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and N’Golo Kante, exemplify their determination to attract top-tier talent.
The differences extend beyond financial aspects. The Chinese Super League’s gold rush mentality encountered challenges due to the intricacies of the Chinese political system, resulting in a shift towards a more sustainable growth model.
Meanwhile, the Saudi Pro League project focuses on consolidating Saudi Arabia’s international influence, leveraging its petro-dollar resources to build a competitive league.
This has been explained by super agent Jon Smith in his latest column for CaughtOffside. Explaining why the Saudi Pro League will not end up like the Chinese Super League, he said:
“If you look back at the Chinese Super League it was President Xi who was making a big play for eternal presidency. One of the things he was beginning to talk about was he’s a football fan. This encouraged many participants in the football industry to join the party. That players should all pile in because China had lots of money, and so that’s what happened. It became a bun fest of ‘let’s all play in China’ or ‘let’s get Chinese money out, buying clubs in and around Europe and various other places around the world,’ when actually, the political system is very, very different from Saudi. The political influence Xi was hoping for on the back of the ‘gold rush’ never arrived.”
“Unless you were with the supreme power brokers – and you never quite knew who they were from one week to the next – it was a very difficult market. Then you began to see the movement of currency was too much one way and was, I think, just a sort of market reaction.
The Chinese Super League was an oil well, where everyone thought ‘let’s go mining,’ whereas Saudi Arabia is a completely different model. It’s an autocratic state, loaded with petro dollars, wanting to buy influence around the world.”
While the outcome of the Saudi Pro League project remains uncertain, the indications point towards a well-calculated plan aimed at achieving global recognition. The PIF’s ambitions extend beyond their country’s borders, as they strategically position themselves for global influence in the world of football.
Right so the guy at “Caughtoffside” says that the Chinese League was a metaphorical oil well, and consequently completely different to the Saudi League, a literal oil well. Talk about using words to say absolutely nothing.