robertmac43
Forever 43!
- Mar 31, 2015
- 23,672
- 15,813
I'm not sure why I would. Why would I care if Al Ahli beats Al Hilal or Al Ittihad climb to the top of the table? There's a reasons Americans watching the PL end up picking teams to support..football without fan culture is worth no more than water polo.UPDATED:
Al Ittihad: Benzema, Kante, Jota, Helder Costa, Fabinho
Al Nassr: Cristiano Ronaldo, Brozovic, Seko Fofana, Luiz Gustavo, Alex Telles, Alvaro Gonzalez, Sadio Mane, Aymeric Laporte (?)
Al Hilal: Koulibaly, Neves, Milinkovic-Savic, Mitrovic (?), Matheus Pereira, Malcolm, Neymar, Bono
Al Ahli: Firminho, Mendy, Mahrez, Saint-Maximin, Ibanez, Kessie, Merih Demiral
Others: Henderson, Moussa Dembele (Al Ettifaq), Jason Denayer (Al Fateh)
NGL, I'd rather watch these 4 teams than Everton v Palace.
Whats that even mean?I'm not sure why I would. Why would I care if Al Ahli beats Al Hilal or Al Ittihad climb to the top of the table? There's a reasons Americans watching the PL end up picking teams to support..football without fan culture is worth no more than water polo.
I mean, first of all PIF only funds four of these teams, so 80% of the league are still scrub nobodies. Secondly, even the PIF teams have like what, five maybe six Euro players they poached? The majority of their starting XIs are still ME level. It’s a clown league where even I’d say a plurality of their “big name” signings are past their prime mercenaries. Not “all-star” squads by any metric.Whats that even mean?
If the product is good enough, I'll watch it. If these Saudi clubs end up pitting 4 All Star teams against each other, with stars up and down the line up, why wouldn't I watch it?
Human rights protest? By that logic, I wouldn't be watching City, Newcastle or PSG.
Artificially created big teams? Same logic for City, PSG, Chelsea, Leipzig, etc.
If these oil dudes end up buying some superstars just past it, players in their prime AND talented youngsters like Gabri Veiga... I have no issue with watching Al Ahli v Al Hilal.
Why would I not watch it?
I watch a TON of football. 90% of the games I watch I have no bias either way. I don't care who wins in Brighton v Spurs or BVB v Leipzig.
Same goes for Saudi league.
If it's good enough, I'll watch it.
Come on now. They may not have exceptional depth, but their best XIs would be very competitive in most European leagues.I mean, first of all PIF only funds four of these teams, so 80% of the league are still scrub nobodies. Secondly, even the PIF teams have like what, five maybe six Euro players they poached? The majority of their starting XIs are still ME level. It’s a clown league where even I’d say a plurality of their “big name” signings are past their prime mercenaries. Not “all-star” squads by any metric.
Boudebouz might be leaving Al Ahli but they are getting Gabri VeigaCome on now. They may not have exceptional depth, but their best XIs would be very competitive in most European leagues.
Al-Hilal
Mitrović
Neymar, Malcom, Michael
Milinković-Savić, Neves
Al-Shahrani, Koulibaly, Jang, Abdulhamid
Bono
Al-Nassr
Mané, Cristiano Ronaldo, Otávio
Fofana, Talisca
Brozović
Konan, Telles, Laporte, Al-Ghannam
Ospina
Al-Ahli
Roberto Firmino
Saint-Maximin, Barrow, Mahrez
Kessié, Boudebouz
Alioski, Roger Ibañez, Demiral, Majrashi
Mendy
Al-Ittihad
Benzema, Hamdallah
Romarinho, Jota
Kanté, Coronado
Bamsaud, Hamed, Hegazy, Fabinho
Grohe
You can do what you want. I'm telling you why I wouldn't watch it even if the best 100 players in the world all played there. I'm almost certain that hardly anyone will watch it even with all the big names there.Whats that even mean?
If the product is good enough, I'll watch it. If these Saudi clubs end up pitting 4 All Star teams against each other, with stars up and down the line up, why wouldn't I watch it?
Human rights protest? By that logic, I wouldn't be watching City, Newcastle or PSG.
Artificially created big teams? Same logic for City, PSG, Chelsea, Leipzig, etc.
If these oil dudes end up buying some superstars just past it, players in their prime AND talented youngsters like Gabri Veiga... I have no issue with watching Al Ahli v Al Hilal.
Why would I not watch it?
I watch a TON of football. 90% of the games I watch I have no bias either way. I don't care who wins in Brighton v Spurs or BVB v Leipzig.
Same goes for Saudi league.
If it's good enough, I'll watch it.
You'd be wrong. NA supporters aren't watching for the fans lol...You can do what you want. I'm telling you why I wouldn't watch it even if the best 100 players in the world all played there. I'm almost certain that hardly anyone will watch it even with all the big names there.
Most NA supporters are watching PL and at this point are pretty attached to the teams etc. Sure, you got the rest who will watch 'anything', and I'm sure of that a % of that will watch Saudi league like they watch any other league, but that's a negligible crowd especially once you subtract the people who hate Saudi Arabia's regime etc.You'd be wrong. NA supporters aren't watching for the fans lol...
They didn't wake up and choose Chelsea, City, or united becuase of their rich history and fan devotion. IF there is a hostile take over gradually the rest of the world will flock. Provided other variables align. In any case this will never happen and thus moot. Seeing the bizarre reaction is amusing however.Most NA supporters are watching PL and at this point are pretty attached to the teams etc. Sure, you got the rest who will watch 'anything', and I'm sure of that a % of that will watch Saudi league like they watch any other league, but that's a negligible crowd especially once you subtract the people who hate Saudi Arabia's regime etc.
2034 is 11 years away.I don’t have a problem at all with the Saudi League, change is good
However it’s gonna be interesting to see what happens with the 34 WC bid.
Saudis have a bid for the 2034 World Cup, that may be the main reason they're spending dollars.
We'll see if they keep at it after that's decided.
Al-Ittihad for one is a club older than most French league champions of all time.It's not bizarre.
Football is traditionally South America and mostly Europe.
They're synonymous with it it'll take a decade before SA is taken seriously.
Yipee.Al-Ittihad for one is a club older than most French league champions of all time.
Just find Arabian football tradition and culture by default as valuable as any other, these are clubs with relatively long histories even by European standards.Yipee.
And?
Yay, you're taking the example of a team born in the 70s.Just find Arabian football tradition and culture by default as valuable as any other, these are clubs with relatively long histories even by European standards.
Sure there are even older teams in Europe than in Saudi Arabia, but a lot of successful European clubs that are considered fairly traditional aren't any older establishments than the Saudi giants.Yay, you're taking the example of a team born in the 70s.
What if I said a promoted side is something like 50 years old older than any saudi team?
Let's be serious. As I said, it would take at least 10 years before it's relevant, regardless of money.
Sure there are even older teams in Europe than in Saudi Arabia, but a lot of successful European clubs that are considered fairly traditional aren't any older establishments than the Saudi giants.
Al-Ettifaq was established in 1945 and is older than UC Sampdoria (Italian champions), 1. FC Köln (2x German champions), and Olympique Lyonnais (7x French champions).
Only?Football has long been the worlds favourite game so its weird to now suggest its only for SA/Euro. That's some damn fine gatekeeping. Especially given that some Arab states own football teams....