MLS and Saudi Pro League

J

jonny_greenings_sock

Well-known member
Reading today that Inter Miami are trying to sign Iniesta to play alongside Messi and Busquets (and also Eden Hazard), and the Saudi league’s emergence got me thinking.

Why would anyone want to watch this stuff?

It’s a really weird thing, doing sport as a celebrity parade. It’s a bit like seeing a band who were good 30 years ago going through the motions on a reunion tour, but you don’t even get to hear bad versions of the good songs. A bunch of old players on retirement tours raking in money by half-heartedly playing for trophies no-one - least of all them - cares about, in leagues which have no significance in world football, whilst there’s still really great, competitive football happening in other places.

Read that the Saudi club who signed Firmino are also trying to sign Sadio Mane. Why? So Liverpool fans can watch a throwback to their old frontline? Liverpool still exist, have brilliant players and are competing for every top trophy. Why wouldn’t people just watch… Liverpool?

Whole thing has a tribute band vibe. I get it from the players’ point of view, but what can possibly be the commercial appeal?
 
Didn't the MLS do it years ago with Best, Cruyff, Law etc?

Football in the US is taking off, especially youth football and international football
 
jonny_greenings_sock said:
Reading today that Inter Miami are trying to sign Iniesta to play alongside Messi and Busquets (and also Eden Hazard), and the Saudi league’s emergence got me thinking.

Why would anyone want to watch this stuff?

It’s a really weird thing, doing sport as a celebrity parade. It’s a bit like seeing a band who were good 30 years ago going through the motions on a reunion tour, but you don’t even get to hear bad versions of the good songs. A bunch of old players on retirement tours raking in money by half-heartedly playing for trophies no-one - least of all them - cares about, in leagues which have no significance in world football, whilst there’s still really great, competitive football happening in other places.

Read that the Saudi club who signed Firmino are also trying to sign Sadio Mane. Why? So Liverpool fans can watch a throwback to their old frontline? Liverpool still exist, have brilliant players and are competing for every top trophy. Why wouldn’t people just watch… Liverpool?

Whole thing has a tribute band vibe. I get it from the players’ point of view, but what can possibly be the commercial appeal?
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I don't get it either but then what number fast and the furious film is it up to now? About FATF 50?

There is definitely a market of people who don't like thinking and just want to vacuously consume 'content' that this type of legacy football project taps into.
 
Inter Miami tickets are selling like hot cakes over here since the Messi signing. Every away team has hiked their prices up for that match significantly (but still sold out).

Here in Chicago the Fire have bundled the Miami fixture in with at least one more to maximize profits even further. Will be interesting to see if other team push the boat out with big ticket signings in the near future or if it's just Miami doing this.
 
goalscrounger said:
Inter Miami tickets are selling like hot cakes over here since the Messi signing. Every away team has hiked their prices up for that match significantly (but still sold out).

Here in Chicago the Fire have bundled the Miami fixture in with at least one more to maximize profits even further. Will be interesting to see if other team push the boat out with big ticket signings in the near future or if it's just Miami doing this.
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But it's just a novelty. Once that has died down it will return to normal because everyone can see it isn't real competition. The players don't care. Winning the MLS is completely meaningless to someone like Messi. He is obviously only there for the money.

It's basically a live action football museum. People watch sport for the competition and the drama. You get none of that in games that don't mean anything. It's like playing a preseason friendly tournament. There's a trophy at the end but nobody actually cares.
 
There is a market for big names.

Any of those names would put thousands on our attendance home and away, not that we could afford them

I don't think we should pretend we're above it!
 
I'm currently in Saudi Arabia and watch a lot of Saudi Pro-League games, as well as fixtures at lower levels. I've watched football in more than fifty countries and the fans here are no more or less passionate than anywhere else.

Ronaldo got a fair bit of stick from sections of the Al-Nassr crowd last year and the general consensus was that they would have been better off buying some decent defenders.

He created a lot of interest from children, which is great, but attendances tailed off towards the end of the season when it was clear that the title has slipped away.

I'm not expecting the glut of big name signings to make much difference next season amongst fans, it's more to raise the profile of the country and sport within it.
 
GibbosEmpire said:
Didn't the MLS do it years ago with Best, Cruyff, Law etc?

Football in the US is taking off, especially youth football and international football
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Crowds are up a little but the number of free and discounted tickets is growing. There have been so many false dawns, it's too soon by far to say soccer is growing.
 
MLS generally get good crowds and standard is slowly improving. More US players are coming through. Just need to keep it up. I think MLS is and always will be stronger than the Saudi league (in terms of quality of play).
 
I don't really enjoy watching European leagues like the Bundesliga or La Liga (unless it's el classico), and that's despite having a pretty good grasp on who plays for who, the history of the clubs and league, so all this nonsense is of absolutely zero interest for me.
 
Aren’t Saudi very keen to host a World Cup? So part of this is to raise their profile and have high profile players back their bid. Plus the sports washing.
 
jonny_greenings_sock said:
Reading today that Inter Miami are trying to sign Iniesta to play alongside Messi and Busquets (and also Eden Hazard), and the Saudi league’s emergence got me thinking.

Why would anyone want to watch this stuff?

It’s a really weird thing, doing sport as a celebrity parade. It’s a bit like seeing a band who were good 30 years ago going through the motions on a reunion tour, but you don’t even get to hear bad versions of the good songs. A bunch of old players on retirement tours raking in money by half-heartedly playing for trophies no-one - least of all them - cares about, in leagues which have no significance in world football, whilst there’s still really great, competitive football happening in other places.

Read that the Saudi club who signed Firmino are also trying to sign Sadio Mane. Why? So Liverpool fans can watch a throwback to their old frontline? Liverpool still exist, have brilliant players and are competing for every top trophy. Why wouldn’t people just watch… Liverpool?

Whole thing has a tribute band vibe. I get it from the players’ point of view, but what can possibly be the commercial appeal?
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A bit like Glastonbury
 
MVBoro said:
MLS generally get good crowds and standard is slowly improving. More US players are coming through. Just need to keep it up. I think MLS is and always will be stronger than the Saudi league (in terms of quality of play).
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MLS, after the NASL demise, focussed on sustainability and building from the bottom. The odd big name player to draw the crowds in (outside of the cap, but not daft money). Had their fingers burned with daft wages, never again.

Saudi is just like China, throw obscene money at players to attract them. Not sustainable......or rather never going to have anything but a exhibition feel to it. Let them buy all the players, bollox with them, football will survive. Sportswashing.......and wait until the dodgy transfers/loans start......

USA players have improved massively over the last 10 years or so, but this is what they focussed on. Developing the players and ultimately making the national team competitive. Where will the Saudi team be in 10 years.......🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️
 
Would argue football has more potential to grow in Saudi Arabia than the US. Although that said , the influx of Mexicans crossing into the US will make football more popular there. Football is the number one sport in Mexico . The US is a lot more saturated for sports than Saudi Arabia .

I imagine the Saudi league is going to grow , whether it will compete with the European leagues long term is another matter though . I just can’t see a strict Islamic country generating the same pedigree and passion for football as a European or South American one . I just think it’s too repressive over there
 
Nano said:
But it's just a novelty. Once that has died down it will return to normal because everyone can see it isn't real competition. The players don't care. Winning the MLS is completely meaningless to someone like Messi. He is obviously only there for the money.
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I feel like in Messi's case there's probably more to it than just money considering by all accounts he could have went to Saudi Arabia and earned a f*ck ton more. Weren't they on about paying him like $400m a year or something obscene like that? I know there's a few other things tied in to his deal with Miami but I can't imagine even then it comes close to how much he'd have earned in Saudi.

The others, yeah, I think they're finished really and just cashing out. Messi I think can easily still do it at a top club in Europe, but the others probably not so much at this point.
 
Jonathan said:
I feel like in Messi's case there's probably more to it than just money considering by all accounts he could have went to Saudi Arabia and earned a f*ck ton more. Weren't they on about paying him like $400m a year or something obscene like that? I know there's a few other things tied in to his deal with Miami but I can't imagine even then it comes close to how much he'd have earned in Saudi.

The others, yeah, I think they're finished really and just cashing out. Messi I think can easily still do it at a top club in Europe, but the others probably not so much at this point.
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Nah. It's just money and location. Don't blame anyone for not wanting to live in Saudi Arabia. There's 0% chance it is because of competition.
 
The standard in MLS is very poor.. plenty of grassroots programs.. they could be a sleeping giant.. when the penny drops with the money men the MLS will be a strong league..

they need promotions and relegations.. they ruin sports over there!!
 
Hopefully the penny never drops for them.

I'm quite happy with the USA remaining a sleeping giant in the sport.
 
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