The world witnessed one of the biggest shake ups in football history during the summer transfer window of 2023. Saudi Arabia got everyone talking as they continue to attract some of football's star players. In partnership with Media City Qatar.
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00:00 It's the new destination for some of football's most famous faces.
00:04 But Ronaldo and Benzema aren't the only ones who have made their way to Saudi.
00:08 Some of Europe's biggest leagues are losing their key players.
00:11 So what could this mean for the game?
00:13 And what effect will it have on the Middle East?
00:16 Hello there and welcome to Football Now from Doha.
00:23 Now this summer there has been a huge shake-up across football
00:26 with some of the world's biggest stars deciding that Saudi Arabia is the next step on their career ladder.
00:32 On this week's episode of the show we thought we'd take a look at the players that are moving,
00:35 the teams that they're moving to and what we can expect going forward.
00:39 And after the 2022 FIFA World Cup here in Qatar,
00:42 the Middle East is clearly making its mark on the sport.
00:45 So what could the influx of some of the game's biggest names mean for the region?
00:49 It will be a huge effect for sure because you could see in last winter already with the World Cup,
00:55 successful World Cup in Qatar, and now Saudi Arabia as a lovely football country,
01:01 they want to make the next step in development.
01:04 So I'm pretty sure that also the other surrounding countries will also try to invest more in football.
01:12 So I think this will be an absolute game-changer.
01:16 The football is already something like a way of living.
01:20 In Saudi Arabia, then you're talking about 70,000, 80,000 spectators in the stadium.
01:26 Before already all this began with bringing superstars to Saudi Arabia.
01:33 So I think it will be a big boost, to be honest.
01:36 Well, as you probably know by now, it was Al Nasser who began the revolution,
01:39 having signed Cristiano Ronaldo earlier this year.
01:42 The transfer sent shockwaves through the sport,
01:45 with the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star becoming the highest-paid player in world football at the time.
01:51 On the pitch, the result was a little bit mixed,
01:53 Al Nasser finishing runners-up behind the champions Al-Hilal,
01:56 although Ronaldo did manage an impressive 14 goals in 16 games.
02:01 Off the pitch, though, the numbers speak for themselves.
02:04 Their social media following jumping from just under 100,000 to over 15 million.
02:09 Al Nasser's shirts can be spotted all across the Middle East, and rides to their matches have even been sold to over 30 international broadcasters.
02:16 It's just the beginning, not in the end of the transfer period.
02:20 So I truly think that more players are also heading up to Saudi Arabia.
02:25 But it means that it is not only on the pitch, but also off the pitch,
02:30 to building something like a new structure and the globalisation of the football,
02:36 having also, for example, some business opportunities.
02:40 So it will be a really exciting time.
02:43 So Al Nasser really kicked things off.
02:45 Let's have a look at some of the players that have followed Ronaldo and made the move to Saudi Arabia.
02:49 We'll start with Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson,
02:52 who, after 12 successful years, has left the club for Al-Etifak to join a former team-mate.
02:57 More on that later.
02:59 Another Reds legend, Roberto Firmino, along with former Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy,
03:03 have made their way to Al Ahly.
03:06 Ex-Sevilla and Valencia cult hero Eva Benega is Al-Shabaab's first big-name signing,
03:11 whilst another Chelsea associate, Khalidou Koulibaly, will hope that his new side can retain the title.
03:16 Wolves' star man Ruben Neves has joined up with him at Al-Hilal.
03:20 Christian Tello, once a starlet at Barcelona, is now the main man at Al-Fateh,
03:24 while Celtic's Jota and Chelsea's N'Golo Kante made the move to Al Etihad,
03:29 as has the biggest name since Cristiano Ronaldo's move, Karim Benzema.
03:33 Middle Eastern football expert Youri Levy says the signing of the current Ballon d'Or winner
03:37 could be hugely significant for the Saudi Pro League.
03:40 I think Karim Benzema could start this season as the first choice forward for Real Madrid,
03:47 or for any other football club in Europe, for Manchester United, for Liverpool, for Barcelona obviously.
03:53 But he chose Saudi, but also the fact that Benzema is a practicing Muslim.
03:58 He could become a more, I would say, local or familiar face for the project after Cristiano Ronaldo.
04:05 Because if we look now on the timeline of things, how everything evolved,
04:10 Cristiano Ronaldo practically was the A/B testing for this project.
04:14 You know, they tried, they saw how it is when a big star is landing in Saudi, how the fans react.
04:21 In Saudi, obviously, he will need to produce and provide goals and stuff,
04:27 he will get unconditional love.
04:29 He's one of the greatest footballers at the current time that chose Saudi Arabia, that chose Al-Ittahal.
04:36 I think he will see a great benefit from this decision.
04:39 Now in terms of management, this summer's biggest acquisition has taken place in Dumbam,
04:43 where Al-Etifak have announced that Steven Gerrard will be taking charge.
04:47 The Liverpool legend has managed Rangers and Aston Villa so far,
04:51 so what can he expect when taking charge in the Middle East?
04:54 It's kind of a win-win situation for both sides.
04:57 Gerrard needs a fresh start and a place that he can put his fingerprint on it in terms of his football.
05:05 I don't want to say endless resources to do so, but very generous resources to pick his players and his methods.
05:13 And Al-Ittifak, you know, it's not one of the biggest clubs in Saudi Arabia.
05:17 When you see one of the favourite sons of the British football, of English football, taking a step there,
05:24 maybe it will change a little bit the tone of how things are covered, how things are being put up.
05:31 I think that for the PR motives, it's there. For Gerrard's motives, professionally and financially, it's there.
05:39 And for Al-Ittifak, it's a small club that wants to make progress, it's also there.
05:44 But now it's all in the team's genes to provide points and take them a step forward.
05:49 Maybe not top four, but top six in the league. It would be a great success for him, for sure.
05:54 Yeah, fascinating time ahead for football in the region, isn't it?
05:58 That brings us to the end of this week's show.
06:00 Do let us know your thoughts at home using the hashtag #FootballNowSaudi, and we'll see you next time.
06:04 Bye for now.
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