CEO of the new moon: Our budget is limited but players and agents don’t understand, and the funds are not unlimited

June 16th, Riyadh Crescent CEO Kazada was interviewed and talked about topics such as the current situation of Saudi football and the financial budget.

Q: How have you been CEO of Riyadh Crescent for a year and a half?

Answer: Very outstanding. This was an unexpected change in my career, but was lucky enough to be able to work at the most important club in Asia. Many sports achievements were achieved in the first year, and although the second year was a little difficult, it was generally very positive. I had the opportunity to learn about a new country and saw that the work was done well here with great potential.

Q: When you were hired, what instructions did the club’s senior management give you?

A: They asked me to manage the club like the CEO of any other football club, strive to win the championship, while ensuring income and effective management from an economic perspective. We must make a budget and follow it, not deviate.

Q: What surprised you the most about Saudi football?

Answer: On the one hand, with the arrival of high-level players, the level of the league has greatly improved. On the other hand, the enthusiasm of the fans. The football atmosphere here is very strong, and the support and enthusiasm of the fans for the team are impressive. They are also very active on social media.

Q: Have you noticed the progress of the Saudi professional league during this period?

Answer: Of course. More and more high-level players have joined, and the hosting of the 2034 World Cup has also promoted the development of infrastructure. Both sponsors and audiences are increasing. For example, after we signed international players such as Neymar, we had more than 40 million social media followers. Even if Neymar left, our fans did not decrease, which shows that there is a real interest in the game.

Q: Does this love for football bring greater pressure?

Answer: Yes, there is more pressure here. As a club with outstanding achievements in Saudi Arabia and Asia, we attach great importance to the opinions of fans. We make decisions that we should not only consider the best interests of the club, but also the expectations of the fans.

Q: What is the next development direction of Saudi football?

Answer: There is no single step, but multi-faceted progress. The next important challenge is to expand international television rights so that more countries and channels can broadcast our competitions. This will attract more sponsors and fans, and ultimately bring more revenue, which can be invested in the team.

Q: What do you think about the statement that Saudi football has unlimited resources?

Answer: This may have been true in the past, but it is now becoming a past event. We do have budget constraints, and some players and agents don't understand that. We do have some tax advantages, players can make more here, but we don't have unlimited funds. We sometimes give up on certain players because of the high price.