Saudi embarrassed once more as pathetic 445 followers flip up for rival groups’ showdown
The Saudi Pro League has suffered its latest embarrassment – as a measly 445 fans turned up to the King Salman Sport City Stadium.
Al Feiha and Al Fateh played out a 2-2 draw on Thursday evening with ex-Barcelona youngster Cristian Tello being the pick of the foreign stars on display. Footballers flocked to Middle Eastern riches over the summer as they followed in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo – who made the switch after the World Cup.
However, the influx of talent – which wasn’t quite on display this week – hasn’t produced the ticket sales many expected it would.
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Al Feiha and Al Fateh are both just above mid-table – sitting sixth and seventh respectively. Al Feiha took the lead twice, through Fashion Sakala and Abdelhamid Sabiri, only to pegged back by Al Fateh on both occasions.
Al Feiha hold the record of the smallest attendance in the league: back in September, just 281 fans watched Al Fayha’s 3-1 win on the road against Al Riyadh.
What do you think of the low attendances at the Saudi Pro League? Let us know in the comments section
(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
Saudi has invested billions into boxing, football, tennis, F1 and golf to raise their status in the sporting world. In a previous interview with the BBC, Saudi Arabian sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal brushed off the low attendances by saying they are still early in the process.
“It’s building blocks… I’m sure that next year we’ll have more attendance,” he said. “Like anywhere in the world there’s some matches that attract much more audience than others, but all of our big matches have attracted record numbers so far… we’re broadcasting to 147 countries around the world.
“When we planned to develop the league we never thought that we would do it with such pace, but to see that is actually refreshing and it actually showcases the importance of this. Our focus is to develop our league to attract the best in the world.”
