Saudi Pro League hits humiliating new low as just 264 people turn up for match

The Saudi Pro League recorded humiliating attendance figures as just 264 people turned up to watch a match.

Mid-table side Al-Riyadh welcomed bottom of the table Al-Hazm at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium last week (November 30). It was a dull affair between two struggling sides, finishing 0-0 with little to note in terms of quality.

And even more dire was the situation in the stands, with the majority of the 22,188-seater ground left empty. In fact, just 264 people turned up, leaving a sea of blue seats on display.

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While it could be seen as a humiliating new low for a league which has attempted to launch a new dawn by signing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar, it was not the lowest Saudi Pro League attendance of the season.

That came in another Al-Riyadh home fixture on September 1 – where they lost 1-0 to Al-Okhdood. On that occasion, they mustered up a measly 133 fans.

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For comparison, League Two side Forest Green Rovers have the lowest average attendance of any club in the English Football League with 2,103 this term. Their lowest tally was 709 in a game against Shrewsbury, while Bradford City have averaged a stellar 17,694.

Thursday’s struggle to fill seats demonstrates the huge gulf between the four PIF-owned clubs – who have splashed out on big names – and the quality possessed by the rest of the league. The highest attendance figure of the season belongs to Neymar’s Al-Hilal with 59,600, while the league average of 8,634 is skewed dramatically by the bigger sides’ matches.

It comes despite high profile summer signing Riyad Mahrez of Al-Ahli previously claiming he “hears and sees” the fans. The former Manchester City Treble winner regularly played in front of over 50,000 adoring supporters at the Etihad.

Meanwhile, England midfielder Jordan Henderson had just 976 fans watch him play for Al-Ettifaq against Abha at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium early in the season. It came despite Henderson claiming his decision to flock to Saudi was not financially motivated.

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