Ramon Planes, the sporting director of Al-Ittihad, believes that Saudi clubs could participate in the Champions League in the future, given what he calls the significant “globalization” of the football world.
A major sports project was launched in Saudi Arabia in 2023, aiming to make the Saudi Professional League one of the top five leagues in the world by recruiting elite players, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
Saudi clubs are frequently linked with big-name stars, such as Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior. Planes commented on this, saying, “I see the possibility of players like Vinicius here in Saudi Arabia. I’ve witnessed significant development in the league, and it’s quite possible to attract top-level players at their peak.”
He added, “The current trend is towards signing players at their prime, and it’s no longer limited to bringing in players in the twilight of their careers.”
“Saudi clubs in the Champions League? I wouldn’t rule it out at all. Sport is becoming increasingly globalized,” he concluded.
The idea of Saudi clubs participating in the Champions League has been raised since the launch of the Saudi project, but at the time, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin confirmed that it wouldn’t happen anytime soon, regardless of the development of the Saudi league.
Cristiano Ronaldo had previously asserted that the Saudi league is much stronger than major European leagues like the French and Portuguese leagues, and that it should be considered in the calculations for various awards, such as the Golden Boot.
