Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saad Allazeez, Vice Chairman of the Saudi Pro League (SPL) Board, revealed that clubs' interest in player signings was influenced by several factors, including debts and legal issues, sometimes resulting in unequal distribution.

He emphasized that clubs themselves chose the players they wished to sign up, refuting reports suggesting that the program favored one club over another while signing international stars.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Allazeez stated, "We allocated budgets to all 18 clubs in the Professional League, and they were aware of the allocated budgets. The clubs themselves selected the players, and this is documented in submitted request forms. If there was agreement on a player within the budget, the clubs were given the authority to negotiate. The program recruited 97 players this way, and we supported the clubs in the negotiations for some players, but in 90% of cases, the negotiations were carried out by the clubs."

He added: "We managed to attract 10 names from among the top 100 players in the world, and the value of the Saudi league has tripled. We aim to be among the top 10 leagues in the world."

Allazeez denied that the elite player recruitment program directed international players to a specific club, explaining, "The clubs were the ones who chose the players. Several factors govern the budget, and there were clubs whose financial situations were not good due to legal issues. Dealing with debts was among the factors that determined the distributions. Some clubs utilized their resources to sign players."

He reiterated that the program grants approvals for negotiations, not contracts, and the disparity in clubs' financial situations, existing contracts, and resource utilization affected the mechanism of support distribution among the clubs, especially as many teams were unable to register players.

Regarding financial support, Saad Allazeez stated, "We do not differentiate between clubs. Corporate clubs have a greater readiness to receive stars than others. We always work for equality, and we have worked with clubs with double efforts to create opportunities for them. Club support is not linked to positions in the league, and there is no special treatment for teams participating in the AFC Champions League."

On the possibility of terminating the contracts of some stars or loaning them to other league clubs, he said, "Ending contracts depends on technical factors, and we do not prefer it. However, if there is an opportunity for a player to move to another club, it can be considered depending on technical and financial aspects."

Allazeez emphasized that his opinions do not affect the program's operation, which includes many international experiences and competencies, and he is not the person leading the negotiations, as claimed. However, he confirmed that the program facilitated the negotiations by clubs with some players.