Why more Aussie footballers should consider playing in Saudi Arabia

Keisuke Honda is right. Australians should get out of their comfort zone but then plenty already have - just look at Brad Jones in Saudi Arabia.

Jones

Brad Jones, Milos Degenek, Matt Jurman Source: Getty Images

Here is a goalkeeper playing for one of Asia’s biggest clubs, Al Nassr, and winning one of the continent’s most coveted championships.

Al Nassr took the title by a single point, helped by Nigerian international Ahmed Musa and Moroccan goal machine Abderrazak Hamdallah. At the back however there was Jones, the ‘Rock of Riyadh’.

The former Feyenoord and Liverpool goalkeeper has had quite a career and this latest success should have received more recognition than it did. All 16 league clubs are allowed to sign eight foreign players meaning that there is plenty of attacking talent in the ranks. Keeping 11 clean sheets is quite an achievement.

For all the headlines given to Chinese spending over the years, Saudi Arabian teams spent more than any other in Asia ahead of last season.

Although in the past, finances have been something of an issue. Too many owners have been in charge of what some see as personal playthings for a short length of time and don’t worry too much about the future when someone else will be picking up the bills.

The collective, league-wide debts ran into the hundreds of millions by 2018. FIFA was throwing out transfer bans and clubs were being prevented from participating in the AFC Champions League.

The country’s Crown Prince stepped into to settle it all up to ensure that the 2018-19 season would go ahead free of the gathering shadows.

It also led to more plans for reform. Authorities realised that the past way of doing things was no longer working. Privatisation for clubs is planned though has not moved as quickly as many would like.

Even the league has become more professional with rules in place that limit how much can be spent on salaries in relation to turnover, clubs have to focus more on developing local talent too.

If everything goes to plan then the Saudi league has potential to break out of its region and become much better-known and followed around Asia as a whole.

As it is, Australia should have been more interested in the title race. Al Nassr and Jones were pushed by city rivals Al Hilal, a club that sees itself as the biggest in Asia. That is debatable but it is certainly one of them.

Al Hilal, nicknamed 'The Boss', fell short by a single point but there was real drama, pressure and excitement. Hilal's challenge was boosted by Milos Degenek signing for the club in January. The Socceroo defender proved to be a welcome addition to the club and slotted straight in.

Matt Jurman won’t forget his first season in Saudi Arabia either. Signed ahead of the season by Al Ittihad, a real powerhouse and the only club to win back-to-back AFC Champions League titles, it was expected that the Tigers would challenge for the championship after a disappointing campaign last time around.

It did not quite turn out that way.  the season started dreadfully and in came former Croatia coach Slaven Bilic. That didn’t go well either and Jose Luis Sierra, fired in 2018, returned for a second spell.

In the end, Al Ittihad avoided what would have been an unthinkable relegation but it was a close run thing.

Jurman's domestic campaign was interrupted by the Asian Cup but he returned to help Al Ittihad to the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League.

With Rhys Williams and goalkeeper Jack Duncan at Al Qadsia and former Adelaide United star Osama Malik with Al Batin, plenty of players have been flying the Australian flag in Saudi Arabia. More may follow.

The league still has issues but there is at least a recognition that they need to be addressed and a growing will to bring about change.

Once it happens, Saudi Arabia may well be the place to be in Asia.


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4 min read
Published 22 May 2019 10:08am
Updated 24 May 2019 1:55pm
By John Duerden

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