{"id":299468,"date":"2023-12-15T21:46:38","date_gmt":"2023-12-15T21:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/?p=299468"},"modified":"2023-12-15T21:46:38","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T21:46:38","slug":"saudi-pro-league-match-attendance-reaches-new-low-as-1-show-up-for-crunch-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/soccer\/saudi-pro-league-match-attendance-reaches-new-low-as-1-show-up-for-crunch-game\/","title":{"rendered":"Saudi Pro League match attendance reaches new low as 1% show up for crunch game"},"content":{"rendered":"
Saudi Pro League attendances have hit a pitiful new low after just 1% of a stadium\u2019s capacity showed up for a relegation six-pointer.<\/p>\n
The state-backed league has rocked the football world by luring some of the biggest football stars on the planet, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar. The likes of Jordan Henderson and Sadio Mane have also headed to the Middle East while another Liverpool star, Mo Salah, is expected to join them at some point. <\/p>\n
But despite the vast sums being lavished on the league, it has clearly failed to catch the imagination of local fans. Paltry attendances have been an embarrassment to the league all season and there was another shockingly low turnout for the fixture between struggling pair Abha and Al-Hazm. <\/p>\n
READ MORE: Saudi Pro League suffers new attendance blow as 1,000 more show up in English 8th division<\/b><\/p>\n
READ MORE: Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham watched by more fans than Jordan Henderson in Saudi Pro League<\/b><\/p>\nJoin the Daily Star's WhatsApp for the sexiest headlines, showbiz gossip and lots more<\/h3>\n
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Third-bottom Abha went into the game just a point clear of Al-Hazm. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.<\/p>\n
Despite the importance of the match, just 257 supporters showed up at the Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium, which has a capacity of 20,000. That means just 1.285% of the ground was filled.<\/p>\n
How long will top players continue to move to the Saudi Pro League? Let us know in the comments section below.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
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However, it is far from the lowest Saudi Pro League attendance so far this season. In September, an Al-Riyadh home game saw just 133 fans show up. <\/p>\n
The struggle to fill seats demonstrates the huge gulf between the four PIF-owned clubs \u2013 who have splashed out on the big names \u2013 and the resources possessed by the rest of the league. The highest attendance figure of the season belongs to Neymar\u2019s Al-Hilal at 59,600. The league average of less than 9,000 is inflated dramatically by those richer clubs\u2019 matches.<\/p>\n
Despite the league\u2019s world stars, the Saudi Pro League is still just the fifth-best supported top division in Asia, with the Chinese Super League, Japan\u2019s J-League, the Indian Super League, South Korea\u2019s K-League and Iran\u2019s Persian Gulf Pro League well ahead.<\/p>\n