Karim Benzema, won 25 trophies - including five Champions Leagues and four La Liga titles - in 14 years with Real Madrid but the 35-year-old left the club to join Saudi champions Al-Ittihad in June
European football is not in danger from the vast Saudi Pro League recruitment drive, say senior figures at the influential European Clubs’ Association.
However, European sides want alignment over when the Saudi transfer window opens and closes.
This year, the Saudi transfer window has remained open for a week longer than in most European leagues.
“I don’t think there is a danger,” said ECA chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
The ECA was founded in 2008 to represent the interests of clubs from across Europe, and includes includes hundreds of member teams.
Al-Khelaifi, the Qatari former tennis player who is also Paris St-Germain president and has been a member of Uefa’s executive committee since 2019, added: “We believe in ourselves.
“We have the best and biggest competitions and the best players. It is not for me to judge what is happening outside of Europe. How to develop our clubs and association is the most important thing for us.”
The Saudi Pro League had the fourth highest overall transfer spend this summer, exceeding Spain’s La Liga and the German Bundesliga. According to Deloitte, Saudi Pro League clubs have so far spent £691m.
BBC Sport has been told there is funding guaranteed for a decade, suggesting the Gulf nation intends intends for its competition to become one of the world’s foremost in the coming years.
But Al-Khelaifi doesn’t think there is an imminent threat to the European game, despite the exit of players such as Karim Benzema, Jordan Henderson, Sadio Mane and Neymar among others.
Former Liverpool captain Henderson joined Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq in a controversial move in July, Senegal forward Mane switched to Al-Nassr from German side Bayern Munich, Brazil forward Neymar left Paris St-Germain to play for Al-Hilal, while Ballon d’or winner Benzema is now captain of Al-Ittihad after leaving Real Madrid.
- Saudi Arabia’s multi-billion dollar football powerhouse bet
- Why is Saudi Pro League signing European clubs’ stars?
Despite Al-Khelaifi’s insistence, there has been nervousness at some clubs over the potential for the Saudi Pro League to snap up players in Europe in the week’s gap since the transfer window in the major European leagues closed.
Al-Ittihad have continued to pursue Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah despite the Premier League season already being up and running.
“We shouldn’t be worried about it,” said Bayern Munich chief executive Jan Christian Dreesen, who has replaced former Germany goalkeeper Oliver Khan as an ECA vice-president. “We have fantastic competitions. We don’t have to be afraid.
“But I would prefer the window to be closed at the same time. I would propose that.”
In elections held earlier on Wednesday during the ECA’s General Assembly in Berlin, Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano took the vacant Premier League spot on the ECA Board.
Celtic chair Peter Lawwell was named as a vice-president, whilst Sparta Prague international relations manager Martina Pavlova and Olympique Lyonnais Feminine owner Michele Kang were elected into the two positions reserved on the board for female representatives.
Pavlova has also been named a vice-president.
Questioned about the controversy surrounding the Spain women’s World Cup team and Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales still remaining in post, Pavlova said: “The ECA speaks for itself - its values are clear.
“We all know there are some proceedings [against Rubiales]. We have to wait for the outcome.”
