In recent years, the Middle East has been able to offer a few glories on the decline the opportunity for a last highly paid contract. But in 2023, Saudi Arabia swept away the logic of the transfer market. After the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo in December, Karim Benzema signed in June, followed by a host of players, including some of the best in the world in their positions: Neymar, Sadio Mané, Riyad Mahrez, Edouard Mendy, N’Golo Kanté, Seko Fofana, Fabinho, Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, Roberto Firmino…
Stars lured by the staggering salaries (several tens of millions of euros per year) offered by a handful of clubs in the modest local championship, held by the sovereign investment fund. After the organization of several world boxing championships and the Dakar Rally, the country − which dreams of hosting the World Cup in 2030 − continues its quest for influence through sport, a precious instrument of soft power in the hand of the Crown Prince Mohammed Ben Salman and his plan to diversify the local economy. “The idea is to impregnate the retina, to saturate the media space of the Saudi Arabia brand, of these large companies which will sponsor the teams and appear on the huge billboards”explain to Monde Carole Gomez, graduate assistant in sociology of sport at the University of Lausanne.
The researcher distinguishes the Saudi irruption into the 2023 transfer window from the strategy pursued for ten years by Qatar. “This time there is no longer any increase in resourcesnotes Carole Gomez. Saudi Arabia has an aggressive sports policy like never before. In a few weeks, the country has skewed the market, and annihilated all possibilities of competition. »
2023-08-24 04:00:10
#football #transfers
