Has the arrival of all the stars in Saudi Arabia boosted attendance at the stadiums? No, is the conclusion from The Times. In fact, most clubs have experienced a decline.
Cristiano Ronaldo was the first to make the move. Karim Benzema followed in his footsteps, and big names like Neymar, Sadio Mané, and N'Golo Kanté opted for a lucrative contract in the Saudi Pro League. Al-Ittihad, Benzema's club, boasts the highest average attendance with 29,044. Strangely enough, this is significantly lower than last season, when the club was crowned national champion.
The most-attended match is credited to Al-Hilal, Neymar’s employer. For the home game against Al-Fayha, which coincided with the presentation of the Brazilian forward, 59,600 people filled the King Fahd International Stadium. However, attendance can also be much lower. Al-Ettifaq, managed by Steven Gerrard and with Georginio Wijnaldum on the team, drew only 696 (!) spectators for the home match against Al-Riyadh.
Four out of Eighteen
The four state-owned clubs (Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli, and Al-Nassr) average more than 10,000 visitors. Abha is at the bottom of the list with an average of 1,988 supporters. Only four of the eighteen teams have attracted more spectators than last season.
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