Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal, Minister of Sport, responded to criticism of the huge spending in the Saudi Professional League of Roshen.
The Saudi League revolutionised the transfer market, beginning with Cristiano Ronaldo joining last January, before being followed by some top-flight stars in the summer, most notably Neymar, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane.
Saudi League clubs spent around £750m to include these stars last summer.
Al-Faisal was asked whether this expenditure was a threat to major European patrols, replying that “I think the Premiership did, and so they started, and yet nobody questioned them when they did.”
In a different context, the Minister of Sport added, in his dialogue with the BBC, “I think Saudi Arabia is the right place to host the 2034 World Cup, and we have already proved that.”
“We have hosted more than 85 global events and provided our services at the highest level, we want to attract the world through sport, we hope that by 2034, people will have an exceptional World Cup.”
The Saudi minister said they were considering holding the 2034 World Cup in the summer.
“Whether it’s summer or winter, it doesn’t matter to us, as long as we make sure we provide the right atmosphere to host such an event.”
“Welcome to all in Saudi Arabia, and like any other country, we have our rules and regulations, which everyone should abide by and respect.”
“When we come to the UK, we respect the rules and regulations, whether we believe in them or not, and through the events we have experienced so far, we have not encountered any problems.”
