Club World Cup: Saudi Arabia Wey Support Di Tournament?
Colaboradores
Saudi Arabia ein money dey underpin di revamped Club World Cup. But why di kontri help to bankroll an event wey struggle to generate interest, dey draw criticism for di impact wey e fit get on players, domestic leagues, and di environment?
For those wey dey want understand di forces wey dey play for di next month of competition for US, Miami ein Hard Rock Stadium on Wednesday go be an ideal place to start. Dat na where Real Madrid go kick off dia Club World Cup campaign, wit new signing Trent Alexander-Arnold set to make ein debut.
Di fact say di Spanish giants dey willing to pay Liverpool an estimated £8m to secure di defender ein early release so dat e fit play for di tournament dey show di staggering riches wey dey on offer. Wit a prize pot of $1bn (£750m), top European teams dey in line to earn up to £97m if dem win, wey dey lead to concerns say such money fit distort domestic leagues and skew competitive balance.
Real ein Saudi opponents - Al-Hilal - dey highlight another intriguing aspect of di tournament. Di Riyadh club na di kingdom ein Public Investment Fund (PIF) own.
But di vast sovereign wealth fund ein involvement for dis competition no stop dia. For December, sports streaming platform DAZN agree to pay Fifa - football ein world governing body - $1bn for di tournament ein global broadcast rights.
Dat no be di only surprise, because e also promise to make di live action available for free. Dis dey happen even though Fifa bin struggle to find broadcast partners before, and after DAZN bin post several billion dollars worth of losses over recent years.
Den, a few weeks later, a subsidiary of PIF announce say dem acquire a minority stake for DAZN for wetin dem don confirm say na $1bn - dey explain say at di time e w.
Club World Cup Stadium Guide
American-led sporting event dey always get one important factor: say stadiums go be top of di line. Say Americans sabi how to put on a show. For many cases, venues for di U.S. dey tailor-made for di world ein biggest entertainment and sporting events.
Even di kontri ein oldest stadiums, like di Rose Bowl for Pasadena, Calif., wey debut for 1922, still dey consider as iconic sites for today ein modern-day events. Security and crowd control measures dey always top of mind for di U.S. But if dem dey, di past year don be a wake-up call for U.S.-based organizers, and for FIFA.
Two separate incidents of unruly behavior from fans (and players) during last summer ein Copa América for di U.S. reinforce di idea say international soccer tournaments still dey misunderstand by those wey dey in charge of securing a venue. Di Copa América semifinal between Uruguay and Colombia nearly turn into a crowd riot after fans from both countries brawl for di Bank of America Stadium stands. Several Uruguayan players join di melee, including Liverpool ein Darwin Núñez, wey lead to sanctions.
Di Copa América final between Argentina and Colombia bin dey marred when thousands of fans bin dey trapped outside di Hard Rock Stadium gates. Miami-Dade officials, Hard Rock Stadium officials and CONMEBOL, di tournament organizers, all point fingers at each other for di failed security protocols.