Saudi backing for private bids

Prince Abdul Aziz says country could be home to Ronaldo

From the private sector, I can’t speak on their behalf, but there is a lot of interest and appetite and there’s a lot of passion about football.”

Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Turki Al Faisal » Sports minister

Saudi Arabia would back private bids for Manchester United or Liverpool, its sports minister said, adding that the conservative kingdom was keen to host the World Cup.

Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Turki Al Faisal even said the Gulf state could be a new home for clubless superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

After Ronaldo told British TV that he had rejected a huge offer to join a Saudi club, Prince Abdul Aziz said: “Anything is possible, I would love to see Ronaldo play in the Saudi league. It would benefit the league, the sports ecosystem in Saudi and it will inspire the youth for the future. He’s a role model to a lot of kids and has a big fan base in Saudi.”

Prince Abdul Aziz said Saudi Arabia, which has been on a buying spree of sports assets, would “definitely support” bids for the English Premier League giants, whose owners are canvassing investors.

“From the private sector, I can’t speak on their behalf, but there is a lot of interest and appetite and there’s a lot of passion about football,” he told the BBC. “We will definitely support it if any private sector comes in.”