Saudi Arabia’s hunger to bring in established European stars seems insatiable, despite the onboardings of superstars such as Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar. The Guardian recently revealed the nation has spent at least €6B since 2021 for sports at large and continues to shed hundreds of millions in the football world in an attempt to draw attention ahead of its confirmed bid for the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
The Saudi Pro League is gaining pace in a bid to become one of the world’s most-watched football leagues, with stars such as N’Golo Kante and Neymar already commenting on the fact that the league’s level is similar to or even better than Ligue 1.
As per Relevo (via Tuttosport), the next objective for the Saudi patrons is to aim at top-level European coaches, despite having lured the likes of Jorge Jesus, Steven Gerrard, and Nuno Espirito Santo. The appointment of Roberto Mancini as the Saudi Arabia national team coach most recently has hyped up expectations in the Arab country. However, the hottest names remain that of Zinedine Zidane, José Mourinho, and Antonio Conte, two of whom are currently without a team to manage.
There is reportedly an investment of €17B allocated to the development of football in Saudi, including creating new and modern sports infrastructure. The main objective however remains the signings of best players and coaches from Europe.
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