Cristiano Ronaldo remains the Saudi Pro League's prized asset but the competition as a whole is struggling to grow its audience. While clubs are doing their best to attract the biggest talents from around the world, things seem to have gone stale in the Middle East. Ahead of Matchday 22, we take a look at what is preventing the Saudi league from expanding.
In the Premier League, the average match attendance this season is 38,681. The highest average crowd in the English top flight is 73,517 at Manchester United's Old Trafford while Bournemouth have clocked the lowest with 11,039. In comparison, the Saudi Pro League — which aspires to rival England's top flight — averages a crowd of just 8,219 each week despite the largest stadium having a capacity of over 62,000. The better-known clubs including Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli fill less than half of their seats and there is a lack of atmosphere at games. In Europe, most clubs have significant waiting lists for matchday or season tickets whereas in Saudi Arabia, the sport has not yet caught on in the same way. The Saudi Pro League has attracted a number of global stars but on the pitch the players are either struggling to perform or completely absent.
Neymar and Karim Benzema are known worldwide but it is rare to see either of them turn out for their clubs. It cost Al-Hilal over £75million to prise Brazilian icon Neymar away from Paris Saint-Germain but he started only two league games before rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament on international duty. Similarly, 36-year-old Benzema has already missed a few games with a back injury after leaving Real Madrid. It suggests the Saudi Pro League is paying the price for picking up players towards the end of their careers.
Jordan Henderson's decision to leave Al-Ettifaq after just six months was a huge blow for the league. And the perception that Henderson's family had struggled to settle in the area will not help its powers of persuasion in the future. More recently, former Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves appeared to indicate a move to the Saudi Pro League was a last resort for him. He said: "I was close to three clubs and it didn't happen, which saddened me and helped me decide to go to Al-Hilal. "It was events that piled up and then, with this golden opportunity [to sign for Al-Hilal], I had no hesitation in accepting." There is no shortage of televised coverage for Europe's top five leagues but you have to dig a bit deeper to catch the best of the Saudi Pro League in the UK. Whereas Sky Sports and TNT Sports are quick to battle for rights to broadcast the Premier League and Champions League, privileges for the top tier in Saudi Arabia have fallen to DAZN. The streaming service is available for anyone across Europe to watch on a monthly subscription basis but the lure of Ronaldo and Co has not brought the traditional broadcasting powerhouses to the negotiating table.
