00:00 It's the new destination for some of football's most famous faces.
00:04 But Ronaldo and Benzema aren't the only ones who have made their way to Saudi.
00:08 Some of Europe's biggest leagues are losing their key players.
00:11 So what could this mean for the game?
00:13 And what effect will it have on the Middle East?
00:16 Hello there and welcome to Football Now from Doha.
00:23 Now this summer there has been a huge shake-up across football
00:26 with some of the world's biggest stars deciding that Saudi Arabia is the next step on their career ladder.
00:32 On this week's episode of the show we thought we'd take a look at the players that are moving,
00:35 the teams that they're moving to and what we can expect going forward.
00:39 And after the 2022 FIFA World Cup here in Qatar,
00:42 the Middle East is clearly making its mark on the sport.
00:45 So what could the influx of some of the game's biggest names mean for the region?
00:49 It will be a huge effect for sure because you could see in last winter already with the World Cup,
00:55 successful World Cup in Qatar, and now Saudi Arabia as a lovely football country,
01:01 they want to make the next step in development.
01:04 So I'm pretty sure that also the other surrounding countries will also try to invest more in football.
01:12 So I think this will be an absolute game-changer.
01:16 The football is already something like a way of living.
01:20 In Saudi Arabia, then you're talking about 70,000, 80,000 spectators in the stadium.
01:26 Before already all this began with bringing superstars to Saudi Arabia.
01:33 So I think it will be a big boost, to be honest.
01:36 Well, as you probably know by now, it was Al Nasser who began the revolution,
01:39 having signed Cristiano Ronaldo earlier this year.
01:42 The transfer sent shockwaves through the sport,
01:45 with the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star becoming the highest-paid player in world football at the time.
01:51 On the pitch, the result was a little bit mixed,
01:53 Al Nasser finishing runners-up behind the champions Al-Hilal,
01:56 although Ronaldo did manage an impressive 14 goals in 16 games.
02:01 Off the pitch, though, the numbers speak for themselves.
02:04 Their social media following jumping from just under 100,000 to over 15 million.
02:09 Al Nasser's shirts can be spotted all across the Middle East, and rides to their matches have even been sold to over 30 international broadcasters.
02:16 It's just the beginning, not in the end of the transfer period.
02:20 So I truly think that more players are also heading up to Saudi Arabia.
02:25 But it means that it is not only on the pitch, but also off the pitch,
02:30 to building something like a new structure and the globalisation of the football,
02:36 having also, for example, some business opportunities.
02:40 So it will be a really exciting time.
02:43 So Al Nasser really kicked things off.
02:45 Let's have a look at some of the players that have followed Ronaldo and made the move to Saudi Arabia.
02:49 We'll start with Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson,
02:52 who, after 12 successful years, has left the club for Al-Etifak to join a former team-mate.
02:57 More on that later.
02:59 Another Reds legend, Roberto Firmino, along with former Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy,
03:03 have made their way to Al Ahly.
03:06 Ex-Sevilla and Valencia cult hero Eva Benega is Al-Shabaab's first big-name signing,
03:11 whilst another Chelsea associate, Khalidou Koulibaly, will hope that his new side can retain the title.
03:16 Wolves' star man Ruben Neves has joined up with him at Al-Hilal.
03:20 Christian Tello, once a starlet at Barcelona, is now the main man at Al-Fateh,
03:24 while Celtic's Jota and Chelsea's N'Golo Kante made the move to Al Etihad,
03:29 as has the biggest name since Cristiano Ronaldo's move, Karim Benzema.
03:33 Middle Eastern football expert Youri Levy says the signing of the current Ballon d'Or winner
03:37 could be hugely significant for the Saudi Pro League.
03:40 I think Karim Benzema could start this season as the first choice forward for Real Madrid,
03:47 or for any other football club in Europe, for Manchester United, for Liverpool, for Barcelona obviously.
03:53 But he chose Saudi, but also the fact that Benzema is a practicing Muslim.
03:58 He could become a more, I would say, local or familiar face for the project after Cristiano Ronaldo.
04:05 Because if we look now on the timeline of things, how everything evolved,
04:10 Cristiano Ronaldo practically was the A/B testing for this project.
04:14 You know, they tried, they saw how it is when a big star is landing in Saudi, how the fans react.
04:21 In Saudi, obviously, he will need to produce and provide goals and stuff,
04:27 he will get unconditional love.
04:29 He's one of the greatest footballers at the current time that chose Saudi Arabia, that chose Al-Ittahal.
04:36 I think he will see a great benefit from this decision.
04:39 Now in terms of management, this summer's biggest acquisition has taken place in Dumbam,
04:43 where Al-Etifak have announced that Steven Gerrard will be taking charge.
04:47 The Liverpool legend has managed Rangers and Aston Villa so far,
04:51 so what can he expect when taking charge in the Middle East?
04:54 It's kind of a win-win situation for both sides.
04:57 Gerrard needs a fresh start and a place that he can put his fingerprint on it in terms of his football.
05:05 I don't want to say endless resources to do so, but very generous resources to pick his players and his methods.
05:13 And Al-Ittifak, you know, it's not one of the biggest clubs in Saudi Arabia.
05:17 When you see one of the favourite sons of the British football, of English football, taking a step there,
05:24 maybe it will change a little bit the tone of how things are covered, how things are being put up.
05:31 I think that for the PR motives, it's there. For Gerrard's motives, professionally and financially, it's there.
05:39 And for Al-Ittifak, it's a small club that wants to make progress, it's also there.
05:44 But now it's all in the team's genes to provide points and take them a step forward.
05:49 Maybe not top four, but top six in the league. It would be a great success for him, for sure.
05:54 Yeah, fascinating time ahead for football in the region, isn't it?
05:58 That brings us to the end of this week's show.
06:00 Do let us know your thoughts at home using the hashtag #FootballNowSaudi, and we'll see you next time.
06:04 Bye for now.
06:05 [MUSIC]
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