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Saudi Arabia’s billion-dollar Pro League, with few fireworks and no international silverware, still a work in progress
- The league has yet to hit new heights, despite last summer’s US$957m spend on players, second only to the EPL
- The league’s administrators say it will take time to reach their goal: becoming one of the world’s top five domestic competitions
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Anyone expecting immediate results from Saudi Arabia’s unprecedented splurge on football stars was probably disappointed as the billion-dollar spending created a lopsided season with no international silverware so far.
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Despite last year’s pyrotechnical unveilings for superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar, the new-look Saudi Pro League has provided few fireworks since.
On Saturday, Al Hilal cantered to their fourth title in five years with three games to spare, even without the services of Neymar, who was injured on Brazil international duty in October.
None of the Saudi teams reached the Asian Champions League final, hosts Al Ittihad exited in the second round of the Club World Cup in Jeddah, and Roberto Mancini’s Saudi national side lost in the Asian Cup’s last 16.
Al Hilal were so dominant that they won 34 consecutive games in all competitions – a record for a top-flight team – and remain unbeaten in the Pro League.
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