The Bavarian president fears greater competition in Saudi Arabia: – Big money
Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness believes European football will face big problems if it has to keep up with the influx of money in Saudi Arabia.
– Saudi seems determined to dominate world football, Hoeness said in an interview with RTL on Thursday.
Several football stars have announced moves to the Saudi Arabian League in the past year. Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema are among those who play club football in the country.
China also lured several soccer stars with big salaries in the mid-2010s, but the flow of players slowed after the league introduced a salary cap in 2019.
The Bayern boss believes that competition from Saudi Arabia is much greater than China ever represented.
– They have a lot of money, and we pay for it all through oil bills. However, this does not happen in China.
Hoeness believes that Europe’s top clubs must change their mindset in order to catch up in the competition.
– Clubs like Bayern Munich can only survive the challenges we face by investing in our own talent and youth teams, not by opening our wallets.
Saudi Arabia is accused of a number of human rights violations. Transfers to the league are often criticized and called sportswashing.
It was recently discovered that Saudi Arabia is the only candidate to host the 2034 football World Cup.
(© NTB)
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