Saudi Arabia facing an embarrassing situation with foreign stars

In a high-stakes summer transfer window, Saudi Arabia made waves in the world of football by attracting several prominent players with lucrative offers.

However, reports are emerging that many of these athletes are experiencing regrets and a desire to return home, casting a shadow over the country’s ambitious football aspirations.

The Sun has shed light on what they describe as an “embarrassing situation” unfolding in Saudi football, as a growing number of players and managers who made the leap to the Middle Eastern nation are beginning to question their decisions.

While some are allegedly “hating every minute” of their time in Saudi Arabia, they face a significant obstacle in their contracts, which typically run for two years, potentially blocking their escape routes.

One of the pressing concerns faced by these high-profile recruits is the surprisingly low attendance at games in the Saudi Pro League.

Despite the country’s sizable population of 37 million, many matches are played in front of dishearteningly sparse crowds.

For instance, when Jordan Henderson’s Al-Ettifaq, managed by Steven Gerrard, faced off against Slaven Bilic’s Al-Fateh, only 9,827 spectators were present.

Previous home games have drawn meager numbers, with just 4,867 fans attending one match and a mere 976 witnessing a 3-1 win at Abha Club last month.

This brings the stark reality that some Saudi clubs have fewer supporters in the stands than in some lower leagues in Europe.

The disparity in fan attendance is evident when analyzing the numbers. Fabinho’s Al-Ittihad boasts the largest following in Saudi football, with 29,000 passionate supporters regularly attending their matches.

However, this seems to be an exception, as out of the 18 teams in the league, a staggering 11 of them average less than 5,000 spectators per game.

In this context, as Saudi Arabia aims to further bolster its football credentials by pursuing the likes of Lionel Messi, the looming question remains: will these unfavorable circumstances deter top-tier talents from embracing the challenge, or will the allure of substantial financial incentives continue to sway their decisions?