16 November 2023 at 15:25 The Bayern president fears more Saudi Arabian competition: – An abundance of money Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness believes European football could have major problems keeping up with the Saudi Arabian money rush. – The Saudis are apparently determined to dominate world football, Hoeness said in an interview with RTL on Thursday. Several football stars have announced a move to the Saudi Arabian league in the past year. Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema are among those who play club football in the country. China also lured several soccer stars with giant salaries in the mid-2010s, but the flow of players slowed after the league introduced a salary cap in 2019. The Bayern boss believes that the competition from Saudi Arabia is far greater than what China ever represented. – They have an abundance of money available, and we pay for it all via our oil bills. That was not the case with China. Hoeness believes that top European clubs must change their mindset to catch up with the competition. – A club like Bayern Munich can only survive the challenges we have in store by investing in our own talents and youth teams, not by opening our wallets. Saudi Arabia is accused of a number of human rights violations. Transfers to the league are frequently criticized and called sports laundering. It recently became known that Saudi Arabia is the only applicant to host the football World Cup in 2034. (©NTB)
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