<p>Atletico Madrid has announced a landmark agreement with Riyadh Air. That way, they have solidified the Saudi airline’s role as the new naming rights sponsor for their stadium. The deal, one of the largest in sports history, sees the stadium rebranded as the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. It marks a significant expansion in the partnership between the La Liga giants and the Saudi-based company.</p>



<p>The agreement between Atletico Madrid and Riyadh Air runs until 2033 and is reportedly valued at up to €300 million. Thus, this makes it the most substantial sponsorship deal in the club’s history. Riyadh Air became Atletico’s main shirt sponsor last year. They now extend their influence by securing the naming rights for the club’s iconic 70,460-seater stadium. This deal follows the club’s previous sponsorships with Wanda and Civitas</p>



<p>Both of them held the naming rights for the stadium before being replaced by Riyadh Air. The partnership highlights the increasing Saudi involvement in European soccer. Riyadh Air’s CEO, Tony Douglas, emphasized the airline’s commitment to elevating its global profile.</p>



<h2>Strengthening Riyadh Air bond</h2>



<p>The collaboration between <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/atletico-madrid-tv-schedule/">Atletico Madrid</a> and Riyadh Air goes beyond just financial investment. Miguel Angel Gil, CEO of Atletico Madrid, expressed his pride in extending the partnership. He called it a key element in the club’s ongoing development and international appeal. “We are all proud and very happy to announce the extension of the partnership signed then with the agreement whereby our stadium will be named Riyadh Air Metropolitano,” said Gil. “This will drive our global ambitions alongside Riyadh Air’s growth.”Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air, echoed these sentiments. “It’s an honour to become the naming partner for the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. Both organisations are driven to succeed at the highest level, and having our name on such an iconic stadium will elevate the awareness of Riyadh Air across the sporting world and beyond”.</p>



<p>The first official match at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano will take place on October 20, when Simeone’s side hosts Leganes. The event is expected to feature a formal unveiling of the newly branded stadium, which will include updates to signage and branding across the facility. Although the rebranding is already in place, the final installation of the name on the stadium’s northeast and southeast stands will be completed in the coming weeks.</p>



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<h2>Saudi Arabia’s expanding influence</h2>



<p>This historic deal is part of a broader strategy by Saudi entities to increase their presence in global football, particularly in Europe. Riyadh Air’s involvement with <a href="https://en.atleticodemadrid.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Atletico Madrid</a> follows a series of investments and partnerships between Saudi businesses and top football clubs. Earlier this year, La Liga also partnered with Riyadh Season, a Saudi-backed sports event entity, further demonstrating the kingdom’s growing influence in the soccer world.</p>



<p><em>Photo: Imago</em></p>

Atletico sign world's wealthiest stadium naming rights deal

Atletico Madrid have announced a landmark agreement with Riyadh Air, solidifying the Saudi airline's role as the new naming rights sponsor.

<p>All pitch sizes in soccer are not equal. In fact, there is not a universally agreed upon set pitch size that all stadiums use. There are limits on the length, width, and size that the field can be. The two bylines of a soccer field must be equal on both sides and between 49 and 98 yards. The sidelines (i.e. touchlines) have to be equal on both sides and between 98 to 131 yards. Since there can be a difference in sizes from stadium to stadium, let’s take a closer look at how the differences impact soccer-playing styles.</p>



<p>National teams’ stadiums have stricter guidelines, with a range of width between 70 and 80 yards and a range of length between 110 and 120 yards. FIFA <a href="https://publications.fifa.com/en/football-stadiums-guidelines/technical-guideline/stadium-guidelines/pitch-dimensions-and-surrounding-areas/">recommends</a> a width of 74 yards and a length of 115 yards. </p>



<h4>Why some teams prefer a longer pitch size</h4>



<p>There’s a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/06/sports/soccer/manchester-city-united-pep-guardiola.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">story</a> surrounding Pep Guardiola when he first visited the Ethiad Stadium in 2016. He called in Manchester City’s grounds crew and negotiated a deal that the grounds crew would keep the grass shorter than 23 millimeters due to the quick passing, tiki-taka style he planned to employ at <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/manchester-city-tv-schedule/">City</a>.</p>



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<p>While he did not change the Etihad Stadium’s pitch size, he likely changed his tactics to make use of the stadium’s 8,510 square yard size. It’s easier to pass and dribble on longer and wider pitches, meaning Guardiola’s tactics would be right at home (as it was at the Allianz Arena and Camp Nou). </p>



<p>Teams that prize natural fitness and cardio might also favor a longer field. Teams like <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/atletico-madrid-tv-schedule/">Atletico Madrid</a>, run by the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jul/19/kieran-trippier-meets-atletico-madrid-fitness-coach-oscar-ortega">ruthless</a> fitness coach Oscar Ortega, have fields 105 yards long and 68 yards wide. That’s 8,664 square yards, with <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/top-20-biggest-pitches-in-la-liga-20071029-CMS-72650.html">only five</a> teams in <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/where-to-watch-la-liga-on-us-tv-and-internet/">LaLiga</a> using more space than Atletico Madrid. </p>



<p>Although a lot of the pitch size may have to do with the funds in Atleti’s hands, Atletico Madrid’s passionate fans, their new possession strategies that help gas opposing strikers trying to press, their might and strength on the flanks, and their natural fitness make the Wanda Metropolitano both a hostile environment that teams fear playing, but also a field that drains opponents physically.</p>



<p>It’s not odd to see a lot of <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/pitch-sizes-of-stadiums-in-top-european-soccer-leagues-20230509-WST-432102.html">top teams</a> have bigger fields thanks to a mix of money, playstyles, and regulations from FIFA.</p>



<h4>Why some teams prefer short fields</h4>



<p>Defensive-oriented teams will prefer shorter fields, as there is less space to cover, and they will not need to work as hard to win the ball. As the field widens or lengthens, teams begin to find time and space, and the game becomes faster. However, defensive teams will want to bog down the game in hopes of securing a draw or limiting the creativity and explosiveness of the attacking team.</p>



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<p>Luton Town’s Kenilworth Road measures 110 by 72 yards, smaller than many Championship sides. Although the club is working on renovations to the stadium, boasting a capacity of 10,356, the club used it to its advantage as they rolled through last year’s EFL Championship with one of the league’s best defenses. Luton Town’s space-denying, clogged-up, <a href="https://breakingthelines.com/tactical-analysis/tactical-analysis-how-did-luton-town-reach-the-premier-league/">low block</a> only benefited from its small stadium.</p>



<h4>Does it matter that much?</h4>



<p>Although the ways that pitch size influences the beautiful game; through tactics, natural fitness, defense, and more, it’s only a tiny variable when looking at the grand scope of the game. The material and air resistance of the ball, the height of the grass and how healthy it is, the weather, and even the fans arguably have a greater impact on the game than field size. Usually, if a manager attributes field size as an excuse for his team’s loss, pundits and fans alike make fun of the manager.</p>



<p>That’s not to say that field size doesn’t affect the game right now. Managers have often reduced the size of the pitch to prevent teams from playing wide, free-flowing football. </p>



<p><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/nations/wales-national-team-tv-schedule/">Wales</a>‘ Mark Hughes shaved some yards off the touchline to counter the explosive Brazilian wingers in May 2000. But, it didn’t work as <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/nations/brazil-national-team-tv-schedule/">Brazil</a>‘s Rivaldo and Zé Roberto ran rampant for a 3-0 win.</p>



<p>Stoke City coach Tony Pulis would <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/aug/17/when-football-teams-reduce-their-pitch-size-to-counter-opponents" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">do</a> the same thing, pushing their pitch size —&nbsp;especially against Arsenal —&nbsp;to the absolute minimum. It not only favored their defensive block but also helped their long-throw wizard Rory Delap make a bigger impact.</p>



<p>We shouldn’t get lost in the details of how a few yards can favor someone. However, the size of the soccer field certainly matters a lot.</p>



<p>Check out our handy guide on <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/watch-championship-us-tv-internet/">how to watch EFL Championship</a> in USA if you want to keep up with all the exciting matches of this season.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO &amp; PA Images</em></p>

How pitch size affects soccer playing styles

From Kenilworth Road to the Etihad, pitch sizes come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Here's how a pitch size can shape teams' playstyles.

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Atletico sign world's wealthiest stadium naming rights deal

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How pitch size affects soccer playing styles