Former National Team Coach: "Saudi Arabia Has Started a Football Revolution"

Petro-dollars currently dictate the "pace" in the transfer market. The football world is divided; European coaches argue that this will destroy football, while those employed in the Gulf assert that we are witnessing a revolution. "There are many players who want to come" to Saudi Arabia, stated Cosmin Contra, former coach of the Romanian national football team, who has been coaching the Saudi team Damac FC since March. He shared his perspective, saying, "There are many players who want to come here. But at the moment, it is very difficult to negotiate with them because agents hear about huge sums of money and think that all clubs in Saudi Arabia can pay the same. That's not the case, but some don't understand that only a few clubs can pay astronomical amounts. Top players from around the world are coming to Saudi Arabia; I didn't expect it to happen so quickly. We (Damac - ed.) work with a small budget; we are a small club. We want to continue growing every year, always aiming higher than the previous year. I hope we can achieve our goals." Contra was asked if he feels he is part of one of the biggest revolutions in the history of football: "Certainly, 100 percent. Imagine, they transformed a league that few were interested in outside the country. It wasn't easy. More and more money will be invested. We are on the sidelines, trying to support in any way we can so that the product and football here become better and better."

When asked if he believes that smaller teams in the Saudi league will benefit in the coming years from the major investments, Contra said, "I think so, yes. Clubs will receive enough money to ensure that the league is competitive overall. I don't know if the investments will ever be the same as for the top four clubs, but budgets will increase, and we will be able to bring in better players." In 2022, Contra came very close to winning the championship with Al-Ittihad, one of the strongest teams in Saudi Arabia: "You can't compare Al-Ittihad with Damac. Ittihad is one of the biggest clubs in Asia, and the pressure is immense. We also have pressure here, but of a different kind. I want us to be in a safe place, to be in the middle of the table, a little higher if possible. That is our goal at Damac, as well as to make our players progress. We don't want the stress of a relegation battle. Al-Ittihad and Damac are two very different clubs; it's hard to compare. Basically, at Al-Ittihad, you have to win every game. Here, at Damac, it's the pressure we put on ourselves. The staff and players want to win as much as possible and never give up. Different perspectives, different types of work." Last summer, Saudi clubs made high-profile transfers, with total sums rumored to be in the billions of dollars, and in the winter break, another assault on players from major European leagues is expected.