Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar might still play UCL (AFP Image)
The report stated that the proposal for the wild card entry is for the Pro League winner and it wouldn’t impact the Asian Champions League and the annual Arab Cup
Saudi Pro League is in no mood to stop in terms of getting attention from the footballing world as they have now opened talks with UEFA for inclusion in the Champions League. The football league from Saudi has been grabbing the limelight from all corners of the world in the ongoing summer transfer window as the clubs have signed some proven match-winners from Europe to strengthen their squads. The arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo in the last winter transfer window put Saudi Pro League in the limelight. In the last couple of months, things have fired up with players like Karim Benzema, Neymar, Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez and some others making moves in the ongoing window.
According to the Italian publication Calcio e Finanza, Saudi FA has pitched to UEFA to reward a qualification to the Champions League.
“The idea would be to formulate a request to UEFA for a “wild card” to the Champions League, which will be played by 36 teams from 2024/25,” the report suggested.
However, the report stated that the proposal for the wild card entry is for the Pro League winner and it wouldn’t impact the Asian Champions League and the annual Arab Cup held in the summer.
Meanwhile, Along with top-tier stars, several other big names in the sport are starting new chapters in Saudi Arabia.
Marcelo Brozovic, who captained Inter Milan in last season’s Champions League final, has signed a three-year deal with Al-Nassr, who reportedly paid a transfer fee of 18 million euros.
Ex-Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has joined Al-Ettifaq until 2026, drawing heavy criticism given his past support for the LGBTQ community and the fact that Saudi Arabia outlaws homosexuality.
Another former Liverpool star, Brazilian international Roberto Firmino, left the team after eight seasons for Al-Ahli, who have also landed Edouard Mendy of Senegal.
Kalidou Koulibaly, for his part, bade farewell to Stamford Bridge for Al-Hilal for a reported transfer fee of 23 million euros.
It is not just fading stars who are making the trip to the Gulf.
The 28-year-old Ivorian midfielder Seko Fofana has also joined Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, leaving French outfit Lens as they prepare to return to the Champions League.
After eight years with Lazio, Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, also 28, has inked a three-year deal with Al-Hilal.
He will be joined by 26-year-old Ruben Neves, the Portuguese star who was previously tipped for a move to Barcelona.
Another 26-year-old, Frenchman Allan Saint-Maximin, has joined Al-Ahli from Newcastle, which is 80-percent owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund.
(With Agency Inputs)
