If you read my posts you'd know I'm one of the biggest critics of the Premier League on this forum, but its still very different and you're way off on this one I'm afraid.
I'm not avoiding it as I already acknowledged it didn't I?
But man city and Chelsea have spent big to take shortcuts. Agreed?
Just like psg in France.
But happens off the continent and it's not right all of a sudden?
With zero oil money the Saudi league deserves respect just like danish, korean or Indian legaue deserves respect. Let people play football of they want too.
I'm not saying it's going to surpass euro leagues. Im just saying it's football with some stars. I'll keep tabs on it and watch the highlights on YT as I'm a fan of all football. J league highlights used to be on YT too and I watched that too. I liked cerezo cos they wear pink!
Anyway back on topic I just don't understand why people seem hurt by Saudi league trying to upgrade that's all.
In about a minute's worth of searching, the national professional league formed 1976 combining/replacing older regional leagues, there's promotion and relegation to/from a second division (and 3rd, 4th, 5th...), looks like most of the teams were established 1940s, 50s, 60s, earliest I saw established 1916. I don't know if there are any recent franchise teams or if that's their style. I don't know anything else, never followed the teams or league before, but there does seem to a longstanding historical tradition but now more $ & £ & €. Shame though the suddenness of all this is quite disruptive to the market and raises questions of sustainability not just for that league but for average teams and leagues across the world
I went to Jeddah in Saudi as a kid. I was about 10
Amongst one of the few things I remember well,
Was that every day when we put the TV on, there was football on
No idea who was playing, as commentary was in Arabic. But I remember being pretty envious , as at that age my only football was Star Soccer on a Sunday afternoon , as MOTD was too late for me ( unlike kids now , who seem to be up later than their parents )
Also remember plenty of dusty scruffy pitches on waste ground , and joining in games with some Arab kids
So football was clearly popular there 40 years ago
No one is saying it's gonna be the best league in the world are they?
But just like the J league and MLS it deserves respect and the chance to do whatever the fuck it wants.
I will never understand putting down leagues and cups. We do it here domestically to Carling cup or Scottish leagues and abroad every league is inferior be it la Liga serie a or MLS and now Saudi league.
It's weird. This great game as you put it is universal and everyone is allowed to play it wether they have played for centuries or just started this morning. The world is always changing.