Saudi Pro League clubs may be flush with cash, but it appears they can’t purchase fan loyalty.
A mere 390 spectators turned up to witness the epic showdown between Al Fayha and Al Riyadh on Sunday – a match that showcased the likes of Renzo Lopez, Gojko Cimirot, Mohammed Al Baqawi, and ex-Manchester United star Chris Smalling.
This was officially the lowest attendance of the 2024/25 season. Despite the absence of Saudi Pro League poster boys Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and N’Golo Kante, it’s still a humiliating turnout for a league aiming to become one of the world’s top football divisions.
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While there’s some way to go before numbers drop below last season’s low of a 117-capacity crowd, considering the lowest attendance during the 2019/20 season – when Bafetimbi Gomis was the competition’s biggest star – was 581, it’s safe to say the Saudi Pro League has a few issues to address.
Transfermarkt reports that over three-quarters of Saudi Pro League clubs have average attendance figures of under 10,000 this season – even Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr team is struggling to consistently draw large crowds – and more than half averaged under 5,000 last season.
Saudi clubs have collectively splashed out over $2 billion on player acquisitions in the past two years. This summer, big names like Ivan Toney, Joao Cancelo, Moussa Diaby, and Kurt Zouma made headline-grabbing moves to the Gulf state, joining a host of top-tier talent who followed Cristiano Ronaldo’s trailblazing transfer to Al-Nassr in 2022.
Traditionally, clubs have targeted players nearing the end of their careers, but recently, younger stars such as Allan Saint-Maximin and Steven Bergwijn have been enticed to Saudi Arabia. High-profile managers including Steven Gerrard, Laurent Blanc, and Jorge Jesus have also taken up posts there, with plans reportedly in the works to lure figures like Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho to the league in 2025.
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