ALL POSTS TAGGED "Saudi Arabia" - Page 9
Leagues: EPL
/ 420 days agoSaudi move to have serious repercussions for elite EPL referees
High salaries in the Saudi Pro League may entice referees from the English Premier League. They may follow in the footsteps of some of those notable players who jumped to the Middle East this summer. The Saudi Pro League signed high-profile players during the most recent transfer window. That helped bring international attention to the […]
Leagues: Serie A
/ 420 days agoSaudi clubs circling Osimhen as tensions mount, says report
Saudi Pro League teams will lead the charge for Napoli forward Victor Osimhen during the January transfer window. The Nigeria international is enjoying a great 2023/24 Serie A season so far with the Italian side. However, a recent social media debacle has seemingly strained the club's relationship with the star striker. Napoli created, then deleted, […]
Al Nassr
/ 424 days agoCristiano Ronaldo hits back at critics claiming his career is over
Following Al-Nassr's latest Saudi Pro League triumph on Friday, Cristiano Ronaldo responded to his skeptics. The soccer star's arrival in Saudi Arabia in January 2022 has been met with widespread acclaim. His presence sparked a dramatic shift in the sport, with numerous high-profile European players signing with Saudi Pro League clubs. A revival of sorts […]
Leagues: Bundesliga
/ 426 days agoMost top leagues games exceed 100 minutes, data shows
These days, more than half of all matches in soccer leagues go on for more than 100 minutes. New data shows that 52.4% of league games exceed 100 minutes. This metric varies considerably from league to league. For example, the Middle East has the highest and Finland the lowest. The CIES Football Observatory analyzed the […]
Financial Fair Play
/ 427 days agoSaudi Crown Prince: 'We'll continue doing sportswashing'
Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has proclaimed that he does not care about accusations of sportswashing. Bin Salman became his country's de facto ruler in 2017. Since then, the billionaire has invested a fortune in sports. Most notably, bin Salman's Public Investment Fund (PIF) bought a majority stake in Newcastle United in 2021. […]
Leagues: Ligue Un
/ 440 days agoNeymar takes shot at PSG and Ligue 1 with bold Saudi claim
Neymar, formerly of Paris Saint-Germain, was transferred this summer for 90 million euros to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. The Brazilian is just one of the sport's biggest stars from across the globe that has moved to the Middle East this season. And now Neymar has made comments regarding PSG and Ligue 1. This summer, […]
Leagues: EPL
/ 440 days agoEPL clubs seek ban on nation-state ownership like Newcastle
Many prominent Premier League clubs petitioned the UK government to restrict nation-state governments to purchase ownership in English teams. A new independent soccer authority may soon take up this request as part of their job. The United Kingdom’s government, meantime, has assured that it would arrive "when parliamentary time allows", according to The Guardian. English […]
Leagues: UEFA Champions League
/ 440 days agoSaudi clubs to enter UCL? PSG's Al-Khelaifi sets record straight
Saudi clubs have had a significant impact on global soccer, and they want in on the UEFA Champions League. To sign high-profile players, the four Public Investment Fund (PIF)-owned teams received massive funds. The chance was seized by European teams, who stocked their coffers, but questions are being raised. Some of the biggest names in […]
Jadon Sancho
/ 441 days agoMan Utd stay or Saudi move? Report reveals Sancho's future
A club in Saudi Arabia has made a transfer bid to Manchester United for Jadon Sancho. The Englishman was a top talent whom Manchester United had targeted for a long time. After leaving England for first-team play in Germany, he dominated the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund. He scored or assisted more than one goal per […]
Chelsea
/ 441 days agoChelsea legend John Terry set for coaching role in Saudi Arabia
Al-Shabab, a team in Saudi Arabia, is close to hiring Chelsea legend John Terry as its next manager. Since retiring as a player, Terry has worked as an assistant coach at Aston Villa, Leicester City, and now for the Blues' academy, where he brings a wealth of knowledge. But he has never been in charge […]
Club World Cup
/ 442 days agoClub World Cup draw brings Benzema to potential Man City clash
The 2023 FIFA Club World Cup draw took place on Tuesday. The continental cup champions from each of the six confederations will travel to Saudi Arabia to compete. There, they will join the defending champions of the Saudi Pro League, Al-Ittihad, as the host always has a representative in the tournament. Al-Ittihad now has Karim […]
Demarai Gray
/ 442 days agoEverton agrees to sell Demarai Gray to end standoff with coach
Demarai Gray looks set to finally get a move away from Everton. According to The Athletic, the Merseyside club has agreed to sell Gray to Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq. Gray has reportedly already completed a medical with his new club and will join his new teammates following the international break. The Saudi side […]
Jordan Henderson
/ 443 days agoHenderson defends Saudi move, sees positives in decision
Jordan Henderson has finally publicly addressed his switch from Liverpool to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq. The England international departed Merseyside for the Middle Eastern club in a deal worth around $15 million. However, the move was not exactly received well from human rights advocates. Saudi Arabia currently has intense laws against the LGBTQ+ community. […]
Saudi Arabia
/ 445 days agoIs Saudi Arabia threat to UEFA? Aleksander Ceferin clears air
The Saudi Pro League (SPF) has recently begun play after months of pursuing and signing high-profile European soccer stars at astronomical transfer fees. This season has more A-listers than any other since the league’s inception in 1976. With Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival in January at Al-Nassr, Saudi Arabia began its ambitious plan to become a global […]
Galatasaray
/ 446 days agoReport: Bizarre cause stops Pogba from leaving Juve for Turkey
Paul Pogba, a midfielder for Juventus, was said to be close to signing for a team from Turkey this summer. However, he was unable to pass a medical examination required for his transfer from Juventus to Galatasaray. The Frenchman reportedly received an offer from Galatasaray, according to Ali Naci Kucuk of the Turkish publication Hurriyet. […]