Former Saudi star: if financial fair play were applied, we would not register any player1

Explosive statements

Ahmed Atif, the former Saudi national team star, made strong remarks about the financial situation at Saudi clubs. Apply Financial Fair Play strictly, he argued, and a large number of major clubs would be unable to register new players because their spending far outstrips the revenues they declare.

Speaking on the "Dorina Ghair" programme, Atif said: "If Financial Fair Play were applied, no player would be registered at the top clubs." The claim raised wide questions about how clubs with big ambitions in the Roshn League handle their spending and signings.

He explained that the money being pumped into the transfer market has become enormous, while the picture around clubs' incomes and revenues stays murky to observers.

Clubs are spending vast sums on signings, Atif added, without any clear declaration of the scale of their incomes, revenues and funding sources. That opens the door to further questions about the financial balance they are supposed to maintain.

His comments land amid a sharp rise in deal values and player salaries across the Roshn League in recent years. Several Saudi clubs have muscled their way into the global transfer market, keeping financial sustainability and oversight of spending firmly in the spotlight.

Applying Financial Fair Play, Atif believes, demands greater clarity in clubs' financial data, so that spending can be measured fairly against revenues. That matters all the more as the gaps between clubs widen and contract values climb.

These remarks open a new debate about the future of spending in Saudi football. Will the coming period bring tougher financial oversight, or will clubs keep spending at their current rates as they chase the ambition of developing the Roshn League and drawing in the world's leading stars?