According to the Spanish newspaper “AS”, the Saudi League is facing a rift: the gap between the four “state-owned clubs” backed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and other teams is growing. While these clubs, fueled by massive investments, are splashing cash in the transfer market, others are facing an unprecedented financial crisis.
Beyond the PIF’s aura, the reality is harsh. Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli, as well as Al-Ettifaq, which isn’t part of the PIF but enjoys league support, are actively signing star players and promising newcomers. Meanwhile, other teams are seeing their squad strength decline. While some teams like Al-Qadisiyah can get external funding, such as support from Saudi Aramco, one of the world’s largest oil companies, many teams are experiencing a serious sports crisis. For example, while Al-Ittihad, with its final move in the transfer window, signed Moussa Diaby from Aston Villa for a whopping €60 million, Al-Wahda only had 14 players ready for the new season.
Saudi Arabia’s dream of building a world-class league has encountered a significant setback. On one side, there’s abundant wealth, and on the other, financial hardship, with some teams facing serious problems even before the start of the new season. PIF-backed clubs have a clear advantage in signing foreign players. The reason behind this disparity is simple: the Saudi body responsible for approving the arrival of international stars treats PIF-backed clubs differently from others.
Last summer, Saudi Arabia created a wave in the European transfer market. Saudi Arabia invested €1.5 billion, bringing in a plethora of top-flight international football stars, as an investment in the league’s development. Among them, Cristiano Ronaldo, Laporte, Mané and Telles joined Al-Nassr; Neymar, Malcom, Rúben Neves and Bono joined Al-Hilal; Benzema, Kanté and Fabinho joined Al-Ittihad; Mahrez, Firmino, Gabri Veiga and Kessié joined Al-Ahli. These players could have been key players for almost any team in Europe.
However, other teams haven’t enjoyed the same treatment. Apart from newly promoted Al-Qadisiyah, which dared to challenge the “Big Four,” most other clubs have been inactive. Al-Qadisiyah has signed two former La Liga players, Aubameyang and Nacho, as well as the promising youngster Ezequiel Fernández from Boca Juniors, in line with the league’s U23 policy. Saudi Aramco is preparing to support a newly promoted team not under direct PIF control, even though PIF is the controlling shareholder of the company. Beyond that, other clubs have very few highlights outside of the national control. For many fans, the professional league lacks professionalism and transparency in the distribution of funds.
Even among the “Big Four”, there’s no unity. Reports suggest problems are arising within these big clubs. News from Saudi Arabia indicates that Cristiano Ronaldo’s team believes that the PIF is favoring Al-Hilal too much. While Al-Nassr was restricted by the Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, Al-Hilal managed to spend over €200 million on transfers and faced no obstacles in strategic signings, while Al-Nassr faced numerous hurdles.
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