Premier League and Fifa helpless against Saudi juggernaut’s relentless progress | Jonathan Wilson

Saudi Pro League’s moves for ageing stars echo other leagues – but there is no reason why stars at their peak should not follow

Football is far from perfect but it is a thing we love. It has existed in its present form for more than a century and a half. It has its rituals and its routines. It has taken on a cultural significance way beyond what is reasonable. It is a way for parents to commune with children, for exiles to maintain their links to home, a source of pride and identity for areas otherwise left behind. It lubricates the cogs of social interaction. It is everywhere: on televisions, on radios, on phones, in background conversations in offices and pubs and schools.

And it is under threat – at least in the form in which we recognise it.

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