Inside the Saudi Gold Rush

At the identical time, the league discovered that its valuations at occasions different wildly from these of its crew presidents, who had been apparently very happy to make use of authorities cash to pay effectively above market worth. When Al-Hilal submitted a bulk provide for 5 Chelsea gamers, officers privately fumed at what they perceived to be a massively inflated charge, one that may drive up costs elsewhere.

Within a few weeks, the league realized it wanted to alter its method, to discover a technique to impose some form of order on the chaos. The job of doing so would fall to an official who had constructed an influential, if low-profile, profession in Saudi sports activities. That man, Saad Al-Lazeez, was about to grow to be arguably crucial individual in European soccer.

Receipts

One of Van Winckel’s duties after taking over a publish because the technical director of the Saudi Arabian soccer federation in 2015 was to rearrange a tour of a handful of main European golf equipment. He took, as his friends, quite a few officers from the federation and a few crew presidents. The purpose was to see what Saudi Arabia may be taught from Europe’s most well-known expertise factories.

Van Winckel booked the lodges, organized the visits and organized the journey. Although he was touring with influential Saudis accustomed to a sure normal of luxurious, he made some extent of working on what he describes as an inexpensive funds. “We were not in five-star luxury hotels,” he mentioned. “It was nice, but we did not have Mercedes drivers or anything. I drove myself from Dortmund to Ajax, for example.”

It was a very good determination. At the tip of the journey, Van Winckel not solely gave an in depth presentation to 100 or so employees members on the Saudi federation, showcasing what he and his cohort had realized, however he additionally submitted a full set of receipts for the journey.

He had been despatched by Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad, the minister for the General Sports Authority, the precursor to the Ministry of Sports. But it was his vice chairman for technical and funding affairs who signed off on the bills: Al-Lazeez.

Al-Lazeez has taken the identical fastidious method since changing a British government, Garry Cook, as chairman of the Saudi Pro League in May. Colleagues describe him, variously, as urbane, efficient and sensible. His English is “impeccable.” He is, as Van Winckel put it, “someone who thinks in the macro.”