At the beginning of 2023, the transfer of Portuguese soccer superstar C. Lang to Saudi Arabia's Ainas FC was a bombshell that stirred up a "soccer frenzy" in the Middle East and the East, instantly attracting a huge number of fans. However, the fervor did not last long in the stock market. According to the Mirror, Ainas' average league attendance this season has remained at just 22%, making it an embarrassment.
In recent years, the Saudi soccer world has been scrambling to bring in stars in an effort to boost the league's popularity and sell-out crowds, but the effectiveness of the "starlight strategy" seems to be waning. Ainas' attendance has hit rock bottom this season, with only 8,951 fans attending its first match in front of a capacity of 25,000.
For the second match, despite having a seating capacity of 34,000, the attendance was only 4,195. In total, for the two matches, the seating capacity was as high as 59,000, but the actual attendance was only 13,146, with an average attendance rate of only 22%.
Meanwhile, Ainas FC announced the termination of the contract with defender Kislan Golan. The foreigner also left the team after Alexis Dinis moved to insure Groundflower.
