Saudi Pro League can’t rent a crowd even after spending a fortune

Having ploughed close enough to a billion Euros in to buying some of football’s big-ish names last summer, and paying them eye-popping salaries, the Saudi Pro League would, you’d imagine, have expected interest in its teams from the country’s 36 million population to have soared.

There’ll have been no little mortification, then, when the attendance at the game between Al-Riyadh and the Steven Gerrard-managed Al-Ettifaq, with Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum on duty in midfield, was announced: 696. Seriously.

But that wasn’t even the lowest of the season so far, 14,867 seats in the 15,000 seater Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium left empty for the game between Al-Riyadh and Al-Okhdood.

Overall, attendances are down nearly 10 per cent on last season, just five teams in the 18-strong league seeing increases. Top of the list are leaders Al-Hilal who have seen their crowds grow by a whopping 134 per cent, largely due to their signing of (the now injured) Neymar. But 10 clubs average crowds of less than 5,000, including poor old Abha who average less than 2,000.

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Wouldn’t you think with all their money, the Saudi Pro League would rent a crowd?

QUOTE

“I’m not happy because on the 23rd I have to travel to Wolves. I believe I am not going to convince her to come with me.”

Mauricio Pochettino upsets the Wolverhampton Tourism Board by doubting that his wife will want to spend her wedding anniversary in the city ahead of Chelsea’s Christmas Eve game.

Inter Miami’s trip to China does not go to plan

After they failed to make the MLS play-offs, Inter Miami were going to have some free time on their hands, so they decided to arrange a potentially lucrative November trip to China for two friendly games against clubs there.

Lionel Messi might not have been overly chuffed about this because it would mean him spending roughly 90 hours – 90! – flying around the globe in less than a month, his trips including international duty with Argentina, a possible return journey to Paris for the Ballon d’Or ceremony, and then the visit to China complete with internal flights. But when you’re getting paid a salary of in or around €45 million by your club, you just have to put up with jet lag.

So, how are plans for the China trip going? Well, first one of the games was switched from Qingdao to Haikou, which did not go down tremendously well with Messi devotees who had booked flights to and accommodation in Qingdao, the distance between the cities just the 2,500km.

Then Miami announced that tickets would go on sale on Damai’s website, at which point the ticketing platform said it was the first they knew about it. And now there are rumours that the second game has been cancelled, the organisers being less than specific when they cited “various reasons” – although it’s still being advertised on Miami’s website. A few hiccups, then. At the rate the plans for this tour are going, Lionel won’t have to see the inside of an airport.

NUMBER: 32

The (rough) percentage of games Katie McCabe has scored in for Ireland (25 in 79) – for someone who more often than not plays at the back: decent going.

Ballon d’Or trivia

It’s quiz time. Ready? Dating back to 2008, what have Fernando Torres, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Franck Ribery, Manuel Neuer, Neymar, Antoine Griezmann, Virgil van Dijk and Robert Lewandowski in common?

France Football provided a clue: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have won 12 Ballon d’Ors between them, with only Luka Modric breaking their stranglehold between 2008 and 2021, Karim Benzema winning it last year.

Torres, Xavi, Iniesta, Ribery, Neuer, Neymar, Griezmann, van Dijk and Lewandowski were all runners-up between 2008 and 2021, so would have been Ballon d’Or winners if “Messi and Ronaldo didn’t exist”. Unlucky.

WORD OF MOUTH

“I stay out of the dressingroom partly because of the music choices of the players. Most clubs want to turn their grounds into a fortress – ours is becoming a nightclub, mate. I’m all for it, whatever makes people happy, that’s my thing.”

Spurs’ Ange Postecoglou might be getting a tune out of his players, but he’s not overly impressed by the tunes coming out of the dressingroom.

“There’s an expression about the piano players and the piano carriers. I feel like that at times, you’re just carrying the piano for the really talented players to play.”

Diane Caldwell, who won her 100th cap for Ireland last Friday, on being part of the team’s backing band, allowing the likes of Katie McCabe and Denise O’Sullivan tinkle the ivories.

“Manchester is all about United. You don’t see City shirts or flags. Sometimes, with my girlfriend, we go out and say let’s try to find one and we don’t see them.”

United’s Facundo Pellistri insisting Manchester is red. Alas, the trophies are decorated with blue ribbons. Well, apart from the Carabao Cup.

“Other kids went as scary pumpkins, witches – Nairn went as Jack Grealish.”

Michaela Goodwin telling The Sun who her six-year-old son dressed up as for his school’s Halloween disco. ‘Jack Ghoulish,’ as they headlined it. Good, that.