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Saudi Professional League 23/24
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Don't the Saudis talk scouse?0
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Not even in the slightest. Spain has an issue with racism in the terraces and the football authorities aren't doing a good job of dealing with it. What is happening there is illegal though; those who have been caught giving racist abuse to players have been arrested and clubs have been punished through stadium closures etc. It's miserable and more should be done but it's not the same. In Saudi Arabia homosexuality is explicitly illegal. You can be punished in numerous violent ways by the state for existing a certain way, that's completely different. Add to that the Saudi League is a sportwashing project being carried out to draw attention away from the racist, sexist, homophobic bigotry of the nation's autocratic leaders through shiny expensive footballers. Ronaldo, Kante, Benzema, Henderson, they're being targeted specifically to get people to overlook institutional hatred and discrimination. They are the figureheads for 'don't worry about that execution, watch this guy do a kick!' and it would be horrific if Henderson decided to just shrug his shoulders and take the millions when he's already a multi-millionaireiaitch said:
Same as black players playing in Spain after complaining the fans are racist.Garrymanilow said:
No, he hasn't. Henderson has been an advocate for LGBT+ rights for years, speaking out in favour of the Rainbow Laces campaign and being one of the main England players who helped convert the image of them from overpaid wasters to decent men using their platform for positive change. If he moves to a country that discriminates wildly against LGBTQ+ people just because they wafted a load of money in his face then it will do so much damage to the work that's been done to try to reduce discrimination in the sport. It'll tell you that these players only care about homophobic abuse - and in the case of Saudi Arabia criminalisation to the point of flogging, imprisonment or even capital punishment - up to a certain financial number, at which point they're ok with it. It would be so disappointing and I imagine devastating to the people who have felt the benefit of the support Henderson previously showed.se9addick said:
If they’ve really offered him that then he’s got to take it.Chris_from_Sidcup said:The signings keep on coming. Milinkovic-Savic who Lazio apparently turned down a 100m+ bid for a few years ago has signed for Al Hilal, where he will join Koulibaly and Ruben Neves.
The craziest signing though is that apparently Al Ettifaq where Gerrard is now manager have reportedly offered Jordan Henderson 700k a week to sign!! I'm sorry but at the age of 33 and having won everything he can, he has to take that offer.
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That’s the stupidest thing I’ll read today.iaitch said:
Same as black players playing in Spain after complaining the fans are racist.Garrymanilow said:
No, he hasn't. Henderson has been an advocate for LGBT+ rights for years, speaking out in favour of the Rainbow Laces campaign and being one of the main England players who helped convert the image of them from overpaid wasters to decent men using their platform for positive change. If he moves to a country that discriminates wildly against LGBTQ+ people just because they wafted a load of money in his face then it will do so much damage to the work that's been done to try to reduce discrimination in the sport. It'll tell you that these players only care about homophobic abuse - and in the case of Saudi Arabia criminalisation to the point of flogging, imprisonment or even capital punishment - up to a certain financial number, at which point they're ok with it. It would be so disappointing and I imagine devastating to the people who have felt the benefit of the support Henderson previously showed.se9addick said:
If they’ve really offered him that then he’s got to take it.Chris_from_Sidcup said:The signings keep on coming. Milinkovic-Savic who Lazio apparently turned down a 100m+ bid for a few years ago has signed for Al Hilal, where he will join Koulibaly and Ruben Neves.
The craziest signing though is that apparently Al Ettifaq where Gerrard is now manager have reportedly offered Jordan Henderson 700k a week to sign!! I'm sorry but at the age of 33 and having won everything he can, he has to take that offer.2 -
I don't disagree with you but i can safely say that my morals/beliefs would probably go out of the window if i was offered 700k a week, and i can imagine a lot of other peoples would as well.Garrymanilow said:
No, he hasn't. Henderson has been an advocate for LGBT+ rights for years, speaking out in favour of the Rainbow Laces campaign and being one of the main England players who helped convert the image of them from overpaid wasters to decent men using their platform for positive change. If he moves to a country that discriminates wildly against LGBTQ+ people just because they wafted a load of money in his face then it will do so much damage to the work that's been done to try to reduce discrimination in the sport. It'll tell you that these players only care about homophobic abuse - and in the case of Saudi Arabia criminalisation to the point of flogging, imprisonment or even capital punishment - up to a certain financial number, at which point they're ok with it. It would be so disappointing and I imagine devastating to the people who have felt the benefit of the support Henderson previously showed.se9addick said:
If they’ve really offered him that then he’s got to take it.Chris_from_Sidcup said:The signings keep on coming. Milinkovic-Savic who Lazio apparently turned down a 100m+ bid for a few years ago has signed for Al Hilal, where he will join Koulibaly and Ruben Neves.
The craziest signing though is that apparently Al Ettifaq where Gerrard is now manager have reportedly offered Jordan Henderson 700k a week to sign!! I'm sorry but at the age of 33 and having won everything he can, he has to take that offer.
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Well he has already played in Qatar, so don't see why this is any different0
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Horse racing, Golf, and now the global game of football.
If you don't think that the Saudis and their wealthy Arab neighbours are attempting a take over you must've your head in the sand.
Two decades ago no one thought a non football country like Qatar had a chance of a world cup.
Money 🤑 is a great mind changer and let's see where we are in 5 years when 21 year old world class talents go to Saudi Arabia.
I doubt it will be as long as five years1 -
You're right, but I do also think top-level footballers must already have more money than they know what to do with.Chris_from_Sidcup said:
I don't disagree with you but i can safely say that my morals/beliefs would probably go out of the window if i was offered 700k a week, and i can imagine a lot of other peoples would as well.Garrymanilow said:
No, he hasn't. Henderson has been an advocate for LGBT+ rights for years, speaking out in favour of the Rainbow Laces campaign and being one of the main England players who helped convert the image of them from overpaid wasters to decent men using their platform for positive change. If he moves to a country that discriminates wildly against LGBTQ+ people just because they wafted a load of money in his face then it will do so much damage to the work that's been done to try to reduce discrimination in the sport. It'll tell you that these players only care about homophobic abuse - and in the case of Saudi Arabia criminalisation to the point of flogging, imprisonment or even capital punishment - up to a certain financial number, at which point they're ok with it. It would be so disappointing and I imagine devastating to the people who have felt the benefit of the support Henderson previously showed.se9addick said:
If they’ve really offered him that then he’s got to take it.Chris_from_Sidcup said:The signings keep on coming. Milinkovic-Savic who Lazio apparently turned down a 100m+ bid for a few years ago has signed for Al Hilal, where he will join Koulibaly and Ruben Neves.
The craziest signing though is that apparently Al Ettifaq where Gerrard is now manager have reportedly offered Jordan Henderson 700k a week to sign!! I'm sorry but at the age of 33 and having won everything he can, he has to take that offer.
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https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jul/13/jordan-henderson-al-ettifaq-liverpool-contract-talks-jurgen-kloppGarrymanilow said:
No, he hasn't. Henderson has been an advocate for LGBT+ rights for years, speaking out in favour of the Rainbow Laces campaign and being one of the main England players who helped convert the image of them from overpaid wasters to decent men using their platform for positive change. If he moves to a country that discriminates wildly against LGBTQ+ people just because they wafted a load of money in his face then it will do so much damage to the work that's been done to try to reduce discrimination in the sport. It'll tell you that these players only care about homophobic abuse - and in the case of Saudi Arabia criminalisation to the point of flogging, imprisonment or even capital punishment - up to a certain financial number, at which point they're ok with it. It would be so disappointing and I imagine devastating to the people who have felt the benefit of the support Henderson previously showed.se9addick said:
If they’ve really offered him that then he’s got to take it.Chris_from_Sidcup said:The signings keep on coming. Milinkovic-Savic who Lazio apparently turned down a 100m+ bid for a few years ago has signed for Al Hilal, where he will join Koulibaly and Ruben Neves.
The craziest signing though is that apparently Al Ettifaq where Gerrard is now manager have reportedly offered Jordan Henderson 700k a week to sign!! I'm sorry but at the age of 33 and having won everything he can, he has to take that offer.
If the above article is true (I mean, it has to be true as it's the can do no wrong Guardian reporting it) then it's almost as if players say things to placate others.
As has been said already, he's played in Qatar so isn't averse to a bit of contradiction and rolling back on his supposed morals and beliefs.1 -
He never had to placate anyone though. He didn't have to write about LGBTQ+ support in his programme notes. He didn't have to publicly support Robbie Rogers. he didn't have to publicly support that fan who went to the Euros on Twitter. It's not like he's been forced to do this stuff, he's created this niche for himself by choice and then seems to be about to betray it so he can adds millions to his millions. It's really, really bleak. It's not surprising, but it's still depressing.Big_Bad_World said:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jul/13/jordan-henderson-al-ettifaq-liverpool-contract-talks-jurgen-kloppGarrymanilow said:
No, he hasn't. Henderson has been an advocate for LGBT+ rights for years, speaking out in favour of the Rainbow Laces campaign and being one of the main England players who helped convert the image of them from overpaid wasters to decent men using their platform for positive change. If he moves to a country that discriminates wildly against LGBTQ+ people just because they wafted a load of money in his face then it will do so much damage to the work that's been done to try to reduce discrimination in the sport. It'll tell you that these players only care about homophobic abuse - and in the case of Saudi Arabia criminalisation to the point of flogging, imprisonment or even capital punishment - up to a certain financial number, at which point they're ok with it. It would be so disappointing and I imagine devastating to the people who have felt the benefit of the support Henderson previously showed.se9addick said:
If they’ve really offered him that then he’s got to take it.Chris_from_Sidcup said:The signings keep on coming. Milinkovic-Savic who Lazio apparently turned down a 100m+ bid for a few years ago has signed for Al Hilal, where he will join Koulibaly and Ruben Neves.
The craziest signing though is that apparently Al Ettifaq where Gerrard is now manager have reportedly offered Jordan Henderson 700k a week to sign!! I'm sorry but at the age of 33 and having won everything he can, he has to take that offer.
If the above article is true (I mean, it has to be true as it's the can do no wrong Guardian reporting it) then it's almost as if players say things to placate others.
As has been said already, he's played in Qatar so isn't averse to a bit of contradiction and rolling back on his supposed morals.
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I will happily go on record as being Pro Choice so does that mean I should never go to America due to their anti abortion laws ?1
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It isn't sustainable on the football side of things because their league is tiny and on a continental level, no one cares about Asian football. Who really cares if Al Hilal sign 5-6 big names, they win the Saudi league and they win the Asian champions league? No one.soapboxsam said:Horse racing, Golf, and now the global game of football.
If you don't think that the Saudis and their wealthy Arab neighbours are attempting a take over you must've your head in the sand.
Two decades ago no one thought a non football country like Qatar had a chance of a world cup.
Money 🤑 is a great mind changer and let's see where we are in 5 years when 21 year old world class talents go to Saudi Arabia.
I doubt it will be as long as five years0 -
MrOneLung said:Well he has already played in Qatar, so don't see why this is any different
Playing for your country in Qatar, because that's where the World Cup is being held, is completely different from playing for a Saudi team.
It's the same difference between the likes of Gary Lineker working for the BBC in Qatar, because that's where the WC is being held, and Gary Neville working for Qatar TV.3 -
Let's hope that's true and the impact is briefForeverAddickted said:
When the likes of Bellingham in their prime opt for Saudi money over proper Football?R0TW said:
Can you explain why we need to worry?ForeverAddickted said:Shame, but is it really unsurprising?
He was too good to join Wolves in the Championship in the first place.
Its when the Saudis etc. start to attract those who aren't old, or aren't already mercenaries that we'll want to worry
We've seen this from the Chinese already
Personally Couldn't give a toss.
For now though, they're just another MLS | Chinese Super League
I fear that the sheer amount of money the saudis are prepared to throw at this will make their sportwashed abomination irresistible to far too many mercenary callous halfwits
What chances that domestic football associations will have the integrity and gumption to disbar the mercenary callous halfwits from representing their home nations in international football? Will that give pause for thought to enough players?
For the hard of understanding the saudi regime is funding this directly. No amount of smoke and mirrors bullshit about investment funds is fooling anyone - we're looking at you Newcastle United, LIV golf.
The saudi regime is authoritarian to the point of barbarism in its oppression of swathes of its domestic population
It is cheerfully shameless in silencing dissent even outside its borders
It slaughters innocents on a daily basis in its proxy war with Iran in neighbouring Yemen
Accepting one riyal from them makes the recipient guilty by association. Every single riyal is drenched in the blood of innocent victims of saudi barbarism.
For the complacently disinterested in the morality of international affairs: the saudis are also hitting every one of you in the pocket every day by propping up the price of crude oil with all that entails for our economy and your wealth.
"keep politics out of sport" bleat bleat whine whine etc
Saudi money in sport IS politics in sport - that's the only reason they're "investing"5 -
The point I'm trying to make is that if they are paid enough money then their morals/principles go out the window.arny23394 said:
That’s the stupidest thing I’ll read today.iaitch said:
Same as black players playing in Spain after complaining the fans are racist.Garrymanilow said:
No, he hasn't. Henderson has been an advocate for LGBT+ rights for years, speaking out in favour of the Rainbow Laces campaign and being one of the main England players who helped convert the image of them from overpaid wasters to decent men using their platform for positive change. If he moves to a country that discriminates wildly against LGBTQ+ people just because they wafted a load of money in his face then it will do so much damage to the work that's been done to try to reduce discrimination in the sport. It'll tell you that these players only care about homophobic abuse - and in the case of Saudi Arabia criminalisation to the point of flogging, imprisonment or even capital punishment - up to a certain financial number, at which point they're ok with it. It would be so disappointing and I imagine devastating to the people who have felt the benefit of the support Henderson previously showed.se9addick said:
If they’ve really offered him that then he’s got to take it.Chris_from_Sidcup said:The signings keep on coming. Milinkovic-Savic who Lazio apparently turned down a 100m+ bid for a few years ago has signed for Al Hilal, where he will join Koulibaly and Ruben Neves.
The craziest signing though is that apparently Al Ettifaq where Gerrard is now manager have reportedly offered Jordan Henderson 700k a week to sign!! I'm sorry but at the age of 33 and having won everything he can, he has to take that offer.
As stated above Henderson makes this statement about LGBTQ+ rights and then because an offer is too good to turn down he swans off to Saudi who have no such rights.
Football crowds in Spain, Italy, Eastern Europe have been known to be racist for many years but black players, well any players, will still go there beacuse the offer is too good to turn down.
If Mbappe turned Real Madrid down citing that they were racist that might cause them to teach their fans or they may just double their offer to see if it's too good to turn down.
Someone says to me 'come and support Crystal Palace'.
I reply 'eff off you stripey twat'.
'I'll give you £5,000 a week'
'Eaaaaagles Eaaaaaagles'
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No, it is the samekillerandflash said:MrOneLung said:Well he has already played in Qatar, so don't see why this is any different
Playing for your country in Qatar, because that's where the World Cup is being held, is completely different from playing for a Saudi team.
It's the same difference between the likes of Gary Lineker working for the BBC in Qatar, because that's where the WC is being held, and Gary Neville working for Qatar TV.
What better way to show your support to the cause, than boycotting the 2nd biggest sporting event in the world?
Personally, I don't care, and if players want to earn money playing there, then that is fine by me.1 -
I do think there is a difference - the main one being it wasn't his choice to play in Qatar for the WC whereas moving to Saudi Arabia is.MrOneLung said:
No, it is the samekillerandflash said:MrOneLung said:Well he has already played in Qatar, so don't see why this is any different
Playing for your country in Qatar, because that's where the World Cup is being held, is completely different from playing for a Saudi team.
It's the same difference between the likes of Gary Lineker working for the BBC in Qatar, because that's where the WC is being held, and Gary Neville working for Qatar TV.
What better way to show your support to the cause, than boycotting the 2nd biggest sporting event in the world?
Personally, I don't care, and if players want to earn money playing there, then that is fine by me.
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So he was forced to play in a WC ?.jacob_CAFC said:
I do think there is a difference - the main one being it wasn't his choice to play in Qatar for the WC whereas moving to Saudi Arabia is.MrOneLung said:
No, it is the samekillerandflash said:MrOneLung said:Well he has already played in Qatar, so don't see why this is any different
Playing for your country in Qatar, because that's where the World Cup is being held, is completely different from playing for a Saudi team.
It's the same difference between the likes of Gary Lineker working for the BBC in Qatar, because that's where the WC is being held, and Gary Neville working for Qatar TV.
What better way to show your support to the cause, than boycotting the 2nd biggest sporting event in the world?
Personally, I don't care, and if players want to earn money playing there, then that is fine by me.
He went to Qatar for caps and KSA for money, both are fine by me.2 -
Beginning of the end of the Premier League IF its sustained, unlike Chinese who started down the same track then stopped.JaShea99 said:
Didn’t the Chinese government put a stop to that though? Whereas you can’t really see the Saudi ‘government’ doing the same.ForeverAddickted said:Shame, but is it really unsurprising?
He was too good to join Wolves in the Championship in the first place.
Its when the Saudis etc. start to attract those who aren't old, or aren't already mercenaries that we'll want to worry
We've seen this from the Chinese already0 -
Yeah, They drugged his milk and put him on the plane BA Baracus style...jacob_CAFC said:
I do think there is a difference - the main one being it wasn't his choice to play in Qatar for the WC whereas moving to Saudi Arabia is.MrOneLung said:
No, it is the samekillerandflash said:MrOneLung said:Well he has already played in Qatar, so don't see why this is any different
Playing for your country in Qatar, because that's where the World Cup is being held, is completely different from playing for a Saudi team.
It's the same difference between the likes of Gary Lineker working for the BBC in Qatar, because that's where the WC is being held, and Gary Neville working for Qatar TV.
What better way to show your support to the cause, than boycotting the 2nd biggest sporting event in the world?
Personally, I don't care, and if players want to earn money playing there, then that is fine by me.2 -
I just can't see it being sustained. A lot of players are going to go over there for a whopping great payday but I cannot see it generating the interest the big European leagues get irrespective of how much money the Saudi's want throw at it. That said I never thought I'd see kids playing football in Bexleyheath with Al Nassr shirts on either and I've seen a few of those!KingKinsella said:
Beginning of the end of the Premier League IF its sustained, unlike Chinese who started down the same track then stopped.JaShea99 said:
Didn’t the Chinese government put a stop to that though? Whereas you can’t really see the Saudi ‘government’ doing the same.ForeverAddickted said:Shame, but is it really unsurprising?
He was too good to join Wolves in the Championship in the first place.
Its when the Saudis etc. start to attract those who aren't old, or aren't already mercenaries that we'll want to worry
We've seen this from the Chinese already0 - Sponsored links:
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It will be on Sky soon.0
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Mitrovic the latest player linked. Has apparently agreed personal terms and will go if a fee can be agreed with Fulham.0
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Chris_from_Sidcup said:Mitrovic the latest player linked. Has apparently agreed personal terms and will go if a fee can be agreed with Fulham.
Fulham wanting £35m , completely understandable given how key Mitrovic is to them but would expect it happens0 -
He was representing his country at the WC. Employed by England, not Qatar.shine166 said:
So he was forced to play in a WC ?.jacob_CAFC said:
I do think there is a difference - the main one being it wasn't his choice to play in Qatar for the WC whereas moving to Saudi Arabia is.MrOneLung said:
No, it is the samekillerandflash said:MrOneLung said:Well he has already played in Qatar, so don't see why this is any different
Playing for your country in Qatar, because that's where the World Cup is being held, is completely different from playing for a Saudi team.
It's the same difference between the likes of Gary Lineker working for the BBC in Qatar, because that's where the WC is being held, and Gary Neville working for Qatar TV.
What better way to show your support to the cause, than boycotting the 2nd biggest sporting event in the world?
Personally, I don't care, and if players want to earn money playing there, then that is fine by me.
He went to Qatar for caps and KSA for money, both are fine by me.
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So if I went and worked for a British company in Saudi Arabia that would be ok as employed by say BP rather than by Saudi Arabia ?1
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killerandflash said:
He was representing his country at the WC. Employed by England, not Qatar.shine166 said:
So he was forced to play in a WC ?.jacob_CAFC said:
I do think there is a difference - the main one being it wasn't his choice to play in Qatar for the WC whereas moving to Saudi Arabia is.MrOneLung said:
No, it is the samekillerandflash said:MrOneLung said:Well he has already played in Qatar, so don't see why this is any different
Playing for your country in Qatar, because that's where the World Cup is being held, is completely different from playing for a Saudi team.
It's the same difference between the likes of Gary Lineker working for the BBC in Qatar, because that's where the WC is being held, and Gary Neville working for Qatar TV.
What better way to show your support to the cause, than boycotting the 2nd biggest sporting event in the world?
Personally, I don't care, and if players want to earn money playing there, then that is fine by me.
He went to Qatar for caps and KSA for money, both are fine by me.
He can represent his family in Saudi then and alls good.1 -
I think that's a bargain given he's a proven goalscorer and is only 28. Surprised they don't want at least 50m.MarcusH26 said:Chris_from_Sidcup said:Mitrovic the latest player linked. Has apparently agreed personal terms and will go if a fee can be agreed with Fulham.
Fulham wanting £35m , completely understandable given how key Mitrovic is to them but would expect it happens0 -
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Lukaku next?1
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3 more deals apparently agreed for Premier league players.
Jordan Henderson 12m + add ons to Al Ettifaq.
Riyad Mahrez 30m to Al Ahli.
Alex Telles 4m to Al Nassr.0
