Another monumental victory for sportswashing occurred this week.
Karim Benzema’s move to Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad in a deal reportedly worth more than €100 million per year initially stole the headlines, but quickly simmered when the world of golf announced that the PGA, along with DP World Tour, had merged with LIV Golf, which is owned by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF).
It brought to an end a two-year civil war in golf in quite astonishing fashion, and many deem the massive change in the sport as another triumph for Saudi Arabia’s pursuit to grow their influence and ownership in sport. The future of golf is now more ambiguous than ever, with the merger being golf’s version of the European Super League.
The PIF completed a takeover of Premier League side Newcastle United in 2021, attracting widespread criticism due to concerns over state ownership of a football club and the human rights record of Saudi Arabia. At the time of the takeover, the Premier League said it had received “legally-binding assurances” that the Saudi state would not have any control of the club.
It has also taken over control of four of Saudi Arabia’s biggest clubs – Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ittihad, and Al Ahli – as it seeks to attract more big names to join Ronaldo and Benzema in the Saudi Pro League. Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante is another of those heavily rumoured to be heading to the middle east. It is part of a complete reorganisation of the division which also sees several of its clubs opened up to outside investment.
The PIF’s portfolio is growing again, and football needs to be prepared.
PIF turning the screw on their sporting influence
Much of the footballing world has shown a defiant stance to the influence of sportswashing and big money in the sport in recent years. The proposed European Super League in 2020 was quickly derailed by fans across the continent but since then, a more measured approach has been adopted by those seeking to change the sport in a big way.
Much like the way the European Super League threatened to completely change the face of football, LIV Golf and the PIF has altered the sport of golf in a huge way. Golf is a player-run organisation in which arguably the sport’s biggest decision to date was made without their input. The sport has fallen into disrepute. The PGA has spent much of the past two years trying to fight LIV Golf and it’s influence on the sport, before changing course and merging with it.
But in football, rather than trying to alter the entire game at once, they have instead started to take some of its most prized assets such as Ronaldo, Benzema and Kante, and potentially a whole host of other established stars later this summer. LIV Golf’s initial approach to golf was similar before the shock merger was announced.
Money has replaced tradition in the world of golf but in football, we are seeing money replace competition. Players that still have plenty to offer in the most competitive leagues are hanging up their boots early in favour of a quick buck. The Saudi League is not just acquiring players at the end of their tenure, but a reigning Ballon d’Or winner in Benzema.
Kante’s two-year deal with the Al-Ittihad is said to be worth €100 million a season. The mutual obligations of the deal reportedly consist of image rights, commercial deals and whatever a ‘creative’ portfolio is.
PIF will look to exhaust every facet of the player’s fame following a distinguished career with Leicester and Chelsea. At the age of 32, Chelsea may also feel they have drained the best from the Frenchman, though after a dreadful season they could do with his experience in the new campaign.
The Saudi League is presenting prominent professionals in football with life-changing offers. Their expenditure is boundless and lately, the pressure of throwing money at everything has caused competition and even sometimes tradition to become extraneous.
The acquisition of Newcastle is another example, with PIF leaning on the desperation of Newcastle fans to be rid of Mike Ashley’s ruinous reign. The club are currently the richest in world football and are now preparing to play in the Champions League next season. Oh, and their chairman is on the board of directors for golf’s new merger.
Embed from Getty ImagesNearly two years on, it seems the golfing coalition and the Saudi Pro League’s sudden amount of transfer kitty is the latest wave of sportswashing.
Saudi Arabia’s ‘vision’
Saudi Arabia’s latest sporting venture came on Monday, as their drive to attract the world’s best footballers took its next step as the PIF took a majority ownership stake in four of the country’s top clubs, including Ronaldo’s Al Nassr.
It is part of a so-called ‘privatisation project’ that encourages public sector entities to invest more of their money into sports, with football teams evidently the priority.
Unlike European teams, Saudi clubs are not confined to UEFA’s rules on spending, meaning they can be as bold as they want in their contract proposals to the world’s elite player base.
The project has tripled the value of the league to $2.1 billion, with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Sport Prince Abdullah bin Turki Al-Faisal announcing that the project is hopeful of launching the league into the top 10 in the world.
According to sports intelligence agency, Twenty First Group – which ranks leagues based on the strength of its average team – the Saudi Pro League is the 58th best league in the world. For comparison, that is eleven places lower than the Scottish Premiership.
Embed from Getty ImagesAll this effort is a crucial component of Saudi Arabia’s strategic framework, ‘Vision 2030’. It’s an attempt to reduce Saudi Arabia’s dependence on oil, diversify its economy, and develop public service sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation, and tourism.
The resentment of seeing Qatar host the World Cup has additionally forced these arduous efforts as Saudi Arabia looks to further grow it’s portfolio ahead of the bidding process for the 2030 World Cup – which is reportedly expected to be finalised next September.
Acquiring the world’s most renowned footballers seems like the pathway to legitimising the Saudi Pro League and this summer it will go into overdrive.
Saudi Arabia are clearly on a mission of adulation and if the substantial makeover of their football league sparked concern – the golf merger was enough to reveal their latest agenda.
The widespread backlash towards the merger and the announcement that Lionel Messi had turned down a monstrous deal to sign for Al-Hilal in favour of Inter Miami offered some solace, but the truth is the writing is on the wall.
The finest talents in football are being prized away through a lust for purse rather than prestige and the demise of golf could be an indicator of bleaker times on the horizon.
