#Saudi Pro League

[vitorroquesgf]

ronaldo failing to win yet another trophy in saudi LMAOOO

messi nation we keep on winning

[uniqrenders]

[bgtem]

Lionel Messi - Al Hilal

[footicons]

ruben neves icons

[madridismoinblood]

The most goals in UCL history.

The most assists in UCL history.

The most goals in EURO history.

The most assists in EURO history.

[postapocalypticromance]

One thing I think can be severely misunderstood about why an area is a centre of excellence, importance, or power within a sport is that geography, and probably population density, seems to play as much of a role as monetary input.

Eurocentrism in football/soccer, South Asian administrative dominance in cricket, the Rugby League powers of England and Australia, and Rugby Union's Northern Hemisphere powers didn't just come about by accident, the proximity of each to each other or another sport plays a massive role.

It's already pretty much codified that the majority of the winning power in football is concentrated in Western Europe, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands are eminent in that regard. If money was the reason, then England would be much more prominent over a number of years, but it's to do with the proximity to each other and the transfer of knowledge between clubs, coaches, players, and countries.

Hell, Joachim Low credited learning different principles from other countries for Germany's World Cup triumph.

In much the same way, there's a chance that Italy's relative isolation from the rest of the 6 Nations contenders contribute somewhat to their more recent struggles in the tournament, though the RFU's stupid 'players based in England' selection policy effectively achieves the same ends at the player level. Both rugby codes, mainly in England and Australia, benefit from the fact that they are so close to each other, so code switching can and does happen. Australia, in particular, can have players move between Aussie Rules as well as the two rugby codes.

India's eminence in cricket administration is also down to a network of information they've constructed in South Asia, with other full members of the ICC in Asia benefiting from an admittedly lopsided knowledge and facility sharing dynamic. (Again, the English are morons because there's the capability of England doing something similar in Europe and helping to improve countries here, damn you ECB)

That's not to say that sports can't thrive in a more isolated or individual sense. American football, basketball, baseball, and ice hockey are all massively popular with a much more limited reach, in terms of the share of the best players around the world.

But at the end of the day, breaking the hold that a region or countries have over a sport is about much more than money and players. The fact that Europe still holds the majority of the power in football is down to much more than the billions or trillions of pounds and euros invested into teams.

[thesoccerfan]

[raphoupix]

Cristiano Ronaldo - Al Wehda v. Al-Nassr - Saudi Pro League

[trentybenty]

Jordan Henderson wants to leave Saudi now…

Yeaaaahh ma g we moved onnn 😂🤣

[prayforleonardo]

⚽️ Golazo de Cristiano Ronaldo

🟠 Al Fayha 0-2 Al Nassr 🟡

▪️ El gol número 900 para Cristiano Ronaldo en su carrera fue con un magnífico tiro libre.

SPL #AlFayhaAlNassr

[uniqrenders]

[ollieflopkins]

I pay no attention to the Saudi league despite many (former) liverpool connections with various teams. But this - Steven “failing” by many standards as a Saudi league manager - makes me feel almost nothing as well.

Jordan and Steven going there to do whatever they thought they were doing is old news, and I’ve been annoyed and frustrated about it and the discourse around it in the past and moved on. And they really have ceased to exist for me in that small irrelevant corner of the football world - idk if other liverpool fans feel this way. I don’t think about them anymore. No matter how many times Jordan comments on Liverpool posts and such.

never was Steven going to be Liverpool manager. It’s neither plausible nor romantic, it’s silly. nor was I praying on his downfall bc he went to Saudi. but I think his career trajectory (and many other players turned manager) was marked for failure, due to the insane rate of ascension paired with a lack of managerial experience bc even the most basic of football fan can tell you a boss player does not a boss manager make. Surely his team at rangers was a key part to his success there too. but in what universe is rangers to villa a sensible and even close to lateral move. A move that led to where we are now.

And maybe Steven is just not that good of a manager in general. Anyway the Saudi league is so boring and careers are going there to die. Steven’s legacy as a player is cemented but I can’t bring myself to care about his legacy as a manager.

[footicons]

malcom icons

[brighterthanthou]

learning languages is so fun cause i start learning portuguese for neymar and now i ACTUALLY can understand neymar

hes saying SAUDI is his home :(

i adore him so much i hope he actually feels better here i cant wait for him to play again ugh

[cristianoronaldoelbicho]

Cristiano Ronaldo