Saudi Pro League match attendance reaches new low as 1% show up for crunch game
Saudi Pro League attendances have hit a pitiful new low after just 1% of a stadium’s capacity showed up for a relegation six-pointer.
The state-backed league has rocked the football world by luring some of the biggest football stars on the planet, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar. The likes of Jordan Henderson and Sadio Mane have also headed to the Middle East while another Liverpool star, Mo Salah, is expected to join them at some point.
But despite the vast sums being lavished on the league, it has clearly failed to catch the imagination of local fans. Paltry attendances have been an embarrassment to the league all season and there was another shockingly low turnout for the fixture between struggling pair Abha and Al-Hazm.
READ MORE: Saudi Pro League suffers new attendance blow as 1,000 more show up in English 8th division
READ MORE: Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham watched by more fans than Jordan Henderson in Saudi Pro League
Join the Daily Star's WhatsApp for the sexiest headlines, showbiz gossip and lots more
The Daily Star is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join us!
Through the app, we'll send you the sassiest showbiz stories, some naught headline and a seismic smattering of aliens…along with the latest breaking news of course.
To join our community, all you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in!
No one will be able to see who has sign up and no one can send messages except for the Daily Star team. We also treat our community members to competitions, special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN
Third-bottom Abha went into the game just a point clear of Al-Hazm. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Despite the importance of the match, just 257 supporters showed up at the Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium, which has a capacity of 20,000. That means just 1.285% of the ground was filled.
How long will top players continue to move to the Saudi Pro League? Let us know in the comments section below.
However, it is far from the lowest Saudi Pro League attendance so far this season. In September, an Al-Riyadh home game saw just 133 fans show up.
The struggle to fill seats demonstrates the huge gulf between the four PIF-owned clubs – who have splashed out on the big names – and the resources possessed by the rest of the league. The highest attendance figure of the season belongs to Neymar’s Al-Hilal at 59,600. The league average of less than 9,000 is inflated dramatically by those richer clubs’ matches.
Despite the league’s world stars, the Saudi Pro League is still just the fifth-best supported top division in Asia, with the Chinese Super League, Japan’s J-League, the Indian Super League, South Korea’s K-League and Iran’s Persian Gulf Pro League well ahead.
Source: Read Full Article