The Saudi Arabian government, as part of its policy of openness, has decided to focus on football. Hundreds of millions of euros, the arrival of top stars, is now looking for notoriety at a competitive level. For weeks now, rumours have been swirling about the search for possible deals in the frenetic race initiated by the Saudi League to become the centre of attention in world football.
The rumour of days ago became news yesterday when Italy echoed the possibility that the Saudi League champion could participate in the Champions League, something that months ago would have been considered by everyone as an impossibility. After what happened last December, with the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, everything surrounding Saudi Arabia and the world of football can be considered possible.
The truth is that the leaders of UEFA and Saudi football have spoken on different occasions, but the option of the Arab country’s champion being able to participate in the Champions League is still on the threshold of the impossible, at least in the next few years. In this dialogue, there has also been talk of creating some kind of competition to reward the champion of the growing league.
Messi and the Copa Libertadores as an example
The return of CONCACAF teams to the Copa Libertadores may be announced in the coming days. Leo Messi‘s presence in the MLS is the main attraction, which, compared to Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema or Neymar in the Saudi League, could have similar connotations. It would not be the first time that South America’s premier competition has issued invitations to teams from other countries, something that UEFA is not considering in the short term.
It is true that European football’s top body is looking for all kinds of formulas to make the product more profitable and among them there has been talk of creating a super tournament in the United States in the form of the Super Cup, a project that is already underway. For the moment, the Saudi presence seems distant, but it is true that there have been talks.