The CEO of the Saudi League, Omar Maghriboul, confirmed that the commercial aspect does not matter much in Saudi clubs contracting with stars such as Mohamed Salah and Lionel Messi, but only the sporting benefit.
Messi was close to moving to the Roshn League in the summer of 2023 before he made his decision to move to Inter Miami, while Salah is linked daily to Saudi clubs, the latest of which is Al-Nassr.
Maghriboul spoke about this, saying, “Our only condition for contracting with players like Salah and Messi is the technical need for them. Football is our priority.”
He also added, “Our policy is clear that we seek to recruit players who benefit their clubs, and it is clear that we will benefit marketing-wise from signing players of this size, but the commercial aspect is secondary to us at the moment.”
He continued, “Players’ interest in joining Saudi Arabia has increased in recent years, and the Roshn League has become attractive to many stars. This makes us happy as we seek the success of our clubs and their players on the field.”
“It is very normal for some players to accept offers to move to the Saudi League and others to reject them. The player and the club always make the best decision for them,” he concluded.
It is noteworthy that the Saudi League will continue its approach of signing the most prominent football stars during the coming winter and summer, which practically started in January 2023 with the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo.
