Soccer Football - Opening of 2023-2024 Saudi Pro League - Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - August 7, 2023 General view of the trophy at the opening of the Saudi Pro League Saudi Pro League Media Office/Handout via REUTERS/File PhotoAug 10 (Reuters) - When the new Saudi Pro League season kicks off on Friday it will herald a new dawn for football in the Gulf kingdom which has spent close to half a billion dollars luring top players and coaches from traditional European powerhouses.
Al-Ahli, in particular, are one of the few clubs that have benefited from the Saudi Public Investment Fund's (PIF) project to invest in and privatise clubs, which also include reigning champions Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr.
Saudi clubs spent nearly 450 million euros in the close season signing players, most from elite teams in Europe as the PIF created a blueprint for what football fans can expect in transfer windows to come.
The league turned heads when Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr last season soon after the World Cup in a deal which made him the highest-paid athlete on the planet.
The Portugal forward's move paved the way for more household names to sign up for a Saudi league that has increased its size from 16 teams to 18.
Persons:
Hazm, Al, Riyad Mahrez, Edouard Mendy, Roberto Firmino, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nassr, Ronaldo's, Nuno Espirito, Karim Benzema, N'Golo, Marcelo Brozovic, Alex Telles, Mane, Luis Castro, Hilal, Jorge Jesus, Ruben Neves, Serbia's Sergei Milinkovic, Savic, Kalidou Koulibaly, Malcom, Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Ettifaq, Gerrard, Henderson's, Shady Amir, Rohith Nair, Ken Ferris
Organizations:
Soccer, Saudi Pro League, Saudi Pro League Saudi Pro League Media, REUTERS, Saudi Public Investment, Al, Champions, Saudi, Nuno Espirito Santo, Croatia, Inter Milan, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Barcelona, Liverpool, Thomson
Locations:
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Al, Ahli, Ittihad, Hilal, Saudi, Europe, Portugal, Ballon, Senegal, Portuguese, Riyadh, England