Sadio Mane (left) and Cristiano Ronaldo both ply their trade in the Saudi Pro League (Image: GETTY)
The has been embarrassed by lower league EFL teams this season due to the average attendances of a host of their clubs. Despite the fact Saudi Arabian clubs have stumped up billions of pounds on transfer fees and wages in the wake of Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival in the country, some sides are still struggling to compete with League Two outfits in England when it comes to getting fans through the door.
Ronaldo has starred in the Saudi Pro League since two years ago after his contract at was terminated.
And he has since been joined in the Middle East by blockbuster stars such as , Karim Benzema and .
While the Saudi Pro League is aiming to rival the with the wages clubs are able to pay, it can’t compete with the amount of fans that English top flight clubs attract on a weekly basis.
And some Saudi clubs are being shamed by teams such as Accrington Stanley, Harrogate Town and Salford City, who have the lowest average attendances in the whole of the Football League.
Al-Wehda, who play their matches at the King Abdul Aziz Stadium in Mecca, have been watched by an average of 656 people per game at their home matches this season, according to Transfermarkt.
Al-Raed have had an average of 1,357 fans through their gates per match, while every Al-Fayha home game has been watched by an average of only 1,466.
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Premier League hero Ivan Toney moved to the Saudi Pro League in the summer to join Al-Ahli (Image: GETTY)
Accrington Stanley, meanwhile, have an average home attendance of 2,401, with Salford boasting an average of 2,849 supporters on matchdays. And Harrogate have welcomed 2,857 fans for their home matches this campaign.
In fact, 10 Saudi Pro League clubs have a usual attendance of less than 5,000, with El-Ettifaq only boasting an average attendance of 5,535 despite being managed by hero Steven Gerrard.
In comparison, Birmingham and Bolton both have regular attendances of over 20,000 even though they are currently playing in the third tier of English football.
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The Saudi Pro League is starting to generate more coverage around the world thanks to the blockbuster stars on show in the league.
Al-Hilal are the reigning champions, having beaten Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr to the title by 14 points last season. The champions are currently locked in a title battle with Al-Ittihad but trail their rivals by two points.
Al Qadsiah are third, while Al-Nassr occupy fourth spot after winning seven of their 13 encounters.