More and more sports are drawn to the Gulf states, where there is certain a lot of money to spend on tournaments and professional players.
Rafael Louzán, President of Spain’s Royal Football Federation (RFEF), would like to see the Spanish Supercopa tournament played in Saudi Arabia through 2034, according to Palco23. Louzán would also like to see more of the revenues go to the teams and, in time, the women’s Supercopa played in Saudi Arabia. “Its successes,” he said, referring to the host country, “will be ours.”
The RFEF signed its initial deal with Saudi Arabia in 2019, during the five-year term of President Luis Rubiales. It was for six seasons and brought in €240 million for distribution between the federation, the teams and the deal’s intermediary. The current deal, also signed under Rubiales, is an extension to 2029 and generates €40 million for the federation.
There is precedent for international women’s tournaments in Saudi Arabia. The West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) will be holding its 2024 championship in Jeddah this coming Feb. 19-29. The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), meanwhile, held its first Saudi finals last November, in Riyadh, thanks to a deal signed – not without accusations of “sportswashing” – in April.
