On October 9, former soccer superstar and current Guangzhou Evergrande boss, Carlo Cannavaro, faced the camera of Italian media and talked about his coaching experience in the Chinese Super League, and compared the Chinese Super League with the much-anticipated Saudi Arabia League. His words were sharp and he was not shy in sharing his insights to the questions.
When evaluating the Chinese Super League, Cannavaro was outspoken, pointing out that it is mostly operated by private capital behind the scenes and that professional management needs to be improved. In contrast, the Saudi league is led by the government and has better safeguards. He emphasized that many of the problems of the Chinese Super League, such as wage arrears, broken star relationships and club bankruptcies, are virtually impossible in Saudi Arabia, which is why stars tend to flock to the league.
Cannavaro's comments have stirred up heated debate among Chinese Super League fans and domestic soccer enthusiasts. Some agreed with him that his words were true and revealed the differences between the Chinese Super League and Saudi Arabia; others thought he was too radical. Although the capital operation modes of the two places are very different, they are both in the vortex of the golden dollar soccer, so whether the comparison is fair or not has triggered a wide discussion.
Cannavaro's satisfaction with the Chinese Super League is clearly not high. Guangzhou Evergrande fans are also well aware of his strengths and weaknesses as a coach. After leaving the Chinese Super League, his career has not been as glamorous as expected. Although he studied under the famous coach Lippi, he has not seen any significant achievements so far.
Meanwhile, the Saudi League has become the center of attention for soccer fans around the world. The addition of stars such as President Ronaldo and Benzema has put the league in the spotlight. If the Saudi league faces similar problems as the Chinese Super League, the interests of the stars will be closely watched. Ronaldo is rumored to have engaged in several rounds of negotiations to secure their interests when signing. They had to ensure that the results of the signing were widely recognized.
The effect of Cristiano Ronaldo's joining the league has attracted stars such as Benzema and Neymar, and it is clear that although Cannavaro and the Saudi League started from a different place, their destinies may follow the same path. Although the Saudi league also exists in the phenomenon of buying stars, its influence may last longer.
