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[Football] Saudi consortium to take over Newcastle
- Thread starter blue-shifted
- Start date
I don't think it's that they're bailing out Chelsea, it's just that Chelsea happen to have a lot of players, on big wages, that they need to shift quickly and the Saudi's are suddenly cash rich and want to inflate the awareness of their league with 'big name' stars. All of this is with the Saudi "Vision 2030" in mind.They have you by the goolies but they also seem to be bailing Chelsea out. I wonder what will happen when the two interests clash, which they will
All of a sudden Saudi Arabia 'owns' 10% of the Premier League, despite failing the 'fit and proper' owners criteria.
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Papa Lazarou
Living in a De Zerbi wonderland
Exactly. The Saudi strategy has little to do with football and fairness, and much more to do with normalising Saudi Arabia in the public's perception. If you're looking at the gradual Saudi takeover of (Premier League) football and expecting their actions to follow football logic you will be very disappointed.
Money talks louder than words.
You're making an elementary mistake here - presuming that PIF are taking decisions based on the best interests of NUFC.
PIF don't give a single toss about Newcastle - the club, the town or their easily-bought simpleton fans.
PIF are in this for Saudi Arabia - for image, clout, influence - whatever. Nothing else. If they can bask in some reflective glory / exert some influence at Chelsea too - to the detriment of NUFC - they wouldn't even stop to think. They'd fund half of the PL if they can find a way to be allowed to do so - and wouldn't care one bit which of their vehicles were the more successful.
(Before The Fish starts crying again - that isn't to suggest that a lot of the decisions on where to throw their money around are NOT to NUFC's huge (immediate) benefit - that much is self evident).
Javeaseagull
Well-known member
- Feb 22, 2014
- 2,505
I was watching Channel 5 yesterday about Roman Coliseums being dug up all around the Empire. Apparently it was to ‘Romanise’ the locals and to entertain the Roman troops. I thought “That smacks of sports washing if ever I saw it!” It’s been going on a long time!
You're also making a bit of a mistake too. The part of PIF that is managing the investment in the Saudi league is disparate from the part of PIF that is managing investment in Newcastle United. The former parts of PIF aren't remotely interested in benefiting Chelsea, they're solely concerned with artificially inflating the 'value' of the Saudi league by stocking it with players of some renown, and it just so happens that Chelsea have a shit ton of renowned players they need to get off their books, fast.
You're right, PIF don't care about Newcastle or the club beyond the benefit it provides them. If Newcastle United have a good manager, good players, nice facilities, in a regenerated part of the city, that reflects well on them. The same would be true if it was Leeds, or Middlesbrough, or London.
It's probably useful that they've been able to mobilise a group of rabid NUFC fans to spring to their defense and fight all comers the moment any jurnalist asks an uncomfortable question
Newcastle were ripe for a takeover as NU fans despised the previous owner. In their eyes, anyone was going to be better than Mike Ashley. The same could happen at Man U. I suspect that if the Saudis had come along after Bill Archer, a lot more fans would be happy than if the Saudis took over after Bloom.
albionalex
Well-known member
Chelsea need to shift players to keep them within FFP.
The Saudi League needs to sign established players.
It's very convenient for both parties.
Chelsea are also selling to other PL clubs FWIW.
Aye, that's why the Saudis have invested in football, rather than, say, Cricket. The tribalistic nature of the sport means you've immediately got a legion of fans defending the club from any perceived sleight. Just look at the reaction to a potential Qatari takeover of Man Utd, there are already Man Utd fans who're suddenly experts on Qatari rulers, on vagaries of soft power approaches from the Middle East.
Man City fans were quick to warn us that Miguel Delaney, or Tariq Panjar are only critical of Middle East investment because of their own club allegiances. We'll see if that's the case should the Qatari takeover ever happen, but I doubt it.