Harpooning Cristiano Ronaldo is not enough for the wealthy Saudi Arabia, in full maneuver to attract Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema and other high-sounding names into its nets, a sporting offensive with strong geopolitical coloring. The Arabian Peninsula kingdom, criticized for human rights abuses, is determined to use football to improve its international image, and it has petrodollars galore to fulfill its ambitions.
A list of “more than ten” football stars has been drawn up with a view to their recruitment by Saudi clubs with Messi, Benzema and Luka Modric at the top of the bill, a source close to the negotiations told AFP on Monday. . The Saudi Pro League dreams of adding the Argentinian, the Frenchman and the Croatian to its roster, a victory that would allow it, including Ronaldo, to own the four players who have won the prestigious Ballon d’Or over the two decades elapsed.
36 years old on average
This quartet is 36 years old on average, but its cumulative notoriety is well worth the crazy sums necessary to attract them in the eyes of Arabia, probable candidate to co-organize the Football World Cup in 2030 or 2034, perhaps with the Egypt and Greece. “The goal is to build a very strong and competitive league and raise the level of Saudi clubs,” a Saudi government official summed up.
In total, the local authorities are “in contact with more than ten players, many of whom have won the World Cup or the Champions League, so that they can join the Saudi league next season”, a source told AFP. source close to the negotiations.
In addition to Modric, Ballon d’Or and 2018 world vice-champion, the kingdom has targeted the French Hugo Lloris and N’Golo Kanté, the Spaniards Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, the Argentinian Angel Di Maria or even the Brazilian Roberto Firmino, the youngest of the courted at the height of his 31 years.
Improve your image
Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, de facto ruler of the kingdom, is trying to improve its image linked to a rigorous Islam and to attract tourists and investments, partly through sport. The world’s largest oil exporter has spent hundreds of millions on sports deals, from signing Ronaldo to hosting a Formula 1 Grand Prix to launching dissident golf circuit LIV.
All these initiatives have earned him the accusation of wanting to “whitewash through sport” his human rights record. The Saudi sovereign wealth fund (PIF), one of the richest in the world, is trying to attract football stars, not the clubs themselves, according to sources familiar with the negotiations. The players are expected to be split between five formations: Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Shabab, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahly. Saudi clubs are currently publicly owned, under the supervision of the Ministry of Sports. But a football development plan provides for their privatization by 2030.
The championship will also change format, going from next season from 16 to 18 clubs, which will each be authorized to field eight foreign players. The objective of the Saudi League is to double the revenue it generates to reach 8 billion riyals (about two billion euros) by 2030. “The Saudi Pro League will be supported in its ambition to become the one of the ten biggest leagues in the world,” the official Saudi press agency SPA reported on Monday.
End of golden career
Saudi officials are in Paris and Madrid trying to strike deals for Messi and Benzema, according to multiple sources and news reports. The biggest coup so far is the recruitment of Ronaldo by Al-Nassr at the end of December. The Portuguese would receive the highest salary in the history of the sport, around 200 million euros per season, according to unconfirmed reports.
A huge contract is also offered to Benzema, in negotiations with Al-Ittihad. In the case of Messi, sevenfold Ballon d’Or approached by Al-Hilal, even higher sums are mentioned. All of the targeted players are major stars nearing the end of their careers. With the exception of Lloris, who has one year left on his contract with Tottenham, their contracts are all coming to an end.
According to the sources interviewed by AFP, the most advanced negotiations concern in particular Modric (ex-Real Madrid) and Ramos (ex-Paris Saint-Germain), announced close to Al-Nassr, as well as Kanté, champion of the world 2018 out of contract at Chelsea, tracked by defending champions Al-Ittihad.