bobzy Posted July 3, 2023 Share Posted July 3, 2023 "The Saudi League is so dodgy, allowing clubs to circumnavigate FFP ffs" "...but yes please do sign Coutinho for large bucks, Saudi League!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBlack Posted July 3, 2023 Share Posted July 3, 2023 Just now, bobzy said: "The Saudi League is so dodgy, allowing clubs to circumnavigate FFP ffs" "...but yes please do sign Coutinho for large bucks, Saudi League!" Yawn.... The difference would be we're not owned by the same people that own the club that's buying Coutinho. Obviously, I'd rather they didn't have a coutinho to help their sportswashing, but that isn't what you're complaining about so that's moot. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted July 3, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted July 3, 2023 I wonder if it will be a bit like Turkey where a lot of players got attracted by the money but usually get out after the first year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted July 3, 2023 Share Posted July 3, 2023 2 minutes ago, MrBlack said: Yawn.... The difference would be we're not owned by the same people that own the club that's buying Coutinho. Obviously, I'd rather they didn't have a coutinho to help their sportswashing, but that isn't what you're complaining about so that's moot. I didn't realise they had Wolves in their pocket too, my bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted July 3, 2023 Share Posted July 3, 2023 3 minutes ago, sidcow said: I wonder if it will be a bit like Turkey where a lot of players got attracted by the money but usually get out after the first year. Turkey still has a decent pull to be honest. This will be longer lasting - remains to be seen whether they can sign many mid-20s stars. The day that comes, the league may well change in whole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBlack Posted July 3, 2023 Share Posted July 3, 2023 1 minute ago, bobzy said: I didn't realise they had Wolves in their pocket too, my bad. I didn't complain about them signing a Wolves player for near enough market value. Not sure I saw many do that to be honest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted July 3, 2023 Share Posted July 3, 2023 1 minute ago, MrBlack said: I didn't complain about them signing a Wolves player for near enough market value. Not sure I saw many do that to be honest. Yeah, I'm kidding. I find the moral twisting hilarious overall, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBlack Posted July 3, 2023 Share Posted July 3, 2023 1 minute ago, bobzy said: Yeah, I'm kidding. I find the moral twisting hilarious overall, though. There's definitely elements of hypocrisy floating around. And whilst the villa part of me would love us to get Coutinho off our books without making a loss, the side of me that hates the sportswashing take over by Saudi Arabia would rather they didn't legitimise their league any further. Who knows, maybe they'll use the increased exposure as a catalyst to improve their human and women's rights. I won't be holding my breath though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommo_b Posted July 3, 2023 Share Posted July 3, 2023 In 5-10 years could easily have all the best players in the World there, a shift is coming unless we can take money out of football but we won’t… so just a matter of time really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted July 3, 2023 Share Posted July 3, 2023 11 minutes ago, Tommo_b said: In 5-10 years could easily have all the best players in the World there, a shift is coming unless we can take money out of football but we won’t… so just a matter of time really. Possibly . . . but as I said before, everyone said the same thing about China 10 years ago and look where their league is today. The Saudis are splashing a lot of money around, and they have a lot of money to splash. But much of what they're spending is malinvestment and they could easily end up in a particularly bad economic crisis at some point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBlack Posted July 3, 2023 Share Posted July 3, 2023 1 hour ago, HanoiVillan said: Possibly . . . but as I said before, everyone said the same thing about China 10 years ago and look where their league is today. The Saudis are splashing a lot of money around, and they have a lot of money to splash. But much of what they're spending is malinvestment and they could easily end up in a particularly bad economic crisis at some point. They own most of London and oil is just going to get more lucrative for them over the next decade before the world figures out how to live without it. I don't see them ever having financial issues with the investments they PIF have made. They might not sustain a league in 40 degree heat though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Steve Posted July 3, 2023 Share Posted July 3, 2023 The Saudis have an unlimited state-funded budget to make it happen unlike the Chinese league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted July 3, 2023 Share Posted July 3, 2023 I mean, we'll see I guess. My bet is that if we fast-forward 15 years, the Saudi Pro League is not the biggest and best in the world, full of the very best players in the primes of their careers. Maybe I will be wrong, I guess time will tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted July 3, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted July 3, 2023 The money has a draw but it's only so much of a draw. Does the average person want to live in Saudi, even if they're filthy rich (when they'd be rich by anyone's standards anywhere else they go)? Or if you don't 'live' there are you happy to live out of hotels for much of the year, or travel long distances week after week? I suspect once the glamour wears off the Saudi league is going to turn into the archetypal retirement home for players. Most likely when UEFA and FIFA have filled their coffers 'promoting the game'. I seem to recall hearing that a number of the clubs are owned by Saudi royal family members, making the league basically the ultimate dick waving competition, a plaything for very rich family game night. When the novelty wears off, or when the owners can't resist getting involved increasingly, the wheels will fall off - the hiring of big name hype men as managers, like Gerrard, tells you all you need to know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlobalVillan Posted July 3, 2023 Share Posted July 3, 2023 2 hours ago, HanoiVillan said: Possibly . . . but as I said before, everyone said the same thing about China 10 years ago and look where their league is today. The Saudis are splashing a lot of money around, and they have a lot of money to splash. But much of what they're spending is malinvestment and they could easily end up in a particularly bad economic crisis at some point. Saudi Arabia? There's as much chance of them running out of sand as there is running out of money. There funds are in the trillions. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vancvillan Posted July 4, 2023 Share Posted July 4, 2023 10 hours ago, MrBlack said: There's definitely elements of hypocrisy floating around. And whilst the villa part of me would love us to get Coutinho off our books without making a loss, the side of me that hates the sportswashing take over by Saudi Arabia would rather they didn't legitimise their league any further. Who knows, maybe they'll use the increased exposure as a catalyst to improve their human and women's rights. I won't be holding my breath though. It's similar to Villa having another gambling sponsor - do the club cash in now knowing everyone else will too, or sacrifice revenue for moral reasons. Main difference is gambling sponsorship has an end date, the Saudis are going to keep throwing insane money at players whether we sell to them or not. Realistically us not selling PC isn't going to put even a scratch in their plans. It's all so tiresome. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted July 4, 2023 Share Posted July 4, 2023 WTF? 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted July 4, 2023 Share Posted July 4, 2023 22 minutes ago, sne said: WTF? I quite like it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Spoony Posted July 4, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted July 4, 2023 I see no reason to be angry with the Saudi league or anyone going out there. No one involved in football has any right to be morally outraged. Sponsors here are mostly heinous betting companies and alcohol companies who ironically wouldn’t be allowed in Saudi. Where are the balls made? Where are the kits made? All with fair labour? No child or migrant workers? Aren’t there loads of state owned Italian and Spanish teams? is any owner at all squeaky clean? Have NSWE got all their money from ethically agreeable sources? you can go in circles with any of this. Football is morally bankrupt from top to bottom. I’m not defending anyone at all, but I also don’t see how anyone is in a position to point the finger. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted July 4, 2023 Share Posted July 4, 2023 10 minutes ago, Spoony said: I see no reason to be angry with the Saudi league or anyone going out there. No one involved in football has any right to be morally outraged. Sponsors here are mostly heinous betting companies and alcohol companies who ironically wouldn’t be allowed in Saudi. Where are the balls made? Where are the kits made? All with fair labour? No child or migrant workers? Aren’t there loads of state owned Italian and Spanish teams? is any owner at all squeaky clean? Have NSWE got all their money from ethically agreeable sources? you can go in circles with any of this. Football is morally bankrupt from top to bottom. I’m not defending anyone at all, but I also don’t see how anyone is in a position to point the finger. Completely agree. I think the only real anger/issue is around FFP and PL clubs circumventing these rules via Saudi clubs. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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