When the Saudi-backed Public Investment Fund completed their takeover of Newcastle United last year, lots of questions were asked.
How did the Saudi owners pass the Premier League’s fit and proper owner’s test? Would Newcastle United just buy their way to glory in emulation of Manchester City? And should the fans put up with this latest iteration of so-called Saudi sports washing?
The reality is that practically anyone who is not a Newcastle United fan finds the idea of their Saudi takeover as nothing short of abhorrent.
But there’s space for nuance, which I hope to achieve in this article.
A historic club gets its soul back?
Supporters of Newcastle United are among the most passionate in European soccer. There’s no questioning that. You only have to look at their weekly attendances – at both home and away fixtures – to realize how passionate and committed Geordies are when it comes to soccer.
In the decade preceding the Saudi takeover, Newcastle was owned by Mike Ashley, a London-based businessman who ran the club with a flagrant disregard for everything the institution stands for.
The very soul of Newcastle United was eroded under Ashley. Club legends Kevin Keegan and Alan Shearer were treated with contempt, the squad and facilities lacked any investment, and the loyalty of the fans was tested as it had never been before.
In fact, in Ashley’s penultimate season, things had got so desperate that Newcastle couldn’t even give away free season tickets to their long-suffering supporters.
Leaving aside any viewpoint on the new owners, for now, the PIF takeover handed Newcastle – both the club and the city – its soul back. That’s a good thing, right?
Why do people have a problem with Saudi Arabia’s involvement in sports?
The fact that most Newcastle United fans are fully behind their new owners should not be taken as a sign that they are blind or disinterested in the human rights abuses of the Saudi regime. Far from it, actually.
If you’ve ever taken the time to listen to a Newcastle United podcast – Pod on the Tyne is a great one – you will understand that most Newcastle supporters are concerned by the fact that the club is now owned by the Saudi regime.
But what should they do? Throw in the towel? Protest? Not turn up to support the team? Supporters of other teams would have them do this, judging by the public opinion that is prevalent following the takeover.
This is largely because most people have a problem with the way that Saudis go about their business. From their alleged financing of 9/11 to the brutal assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, it’s little surprise that so many people are concerned with the increasing prevalence of Saudi Arabia in mainstream sport.
As a result, many people say that Saudi Arabia’s involvement in Newcastle United is nothing more than sports washing – their attempt to rebuild their image in the eyes of the world through the purchase of a popular sports team. And they might well be right.
But what does the Newcastle takeover mean for soccer?
Controversial takeovers are not new in soccer
Some Newcastle United fans have pointed to Roman Abramovic’s ownership of Chelsea as evidence that it’s not only their club that has been in the hands of morally questionable owners.
This is just one example, but there are instances throughout soccer where clubs have been owned by people – often backed by less than moral governments – with ulterior motives behind their purchase.
Ultimately, soccer’s moral compass is questionable when it comes to those that the governing authorities permit to buy clubs. But controversial owners are part and parcel of the game and have been over the past thirty years or so.
So, why is Saudi Arabia’s takeover of Newcastle United any different?
I would suggest that it isn’t.
However, soccer is not the only sport that Saudi Arabia is looking to invest heavily in. Just look at the LIV Golf Tour and the controversy that it has already caused, and you will see that the Kingdom has big plans going forward, and should they get their way, they could reorganize the global sporting landscape.
The bottom line is that the soccer authorities need to do more to consider who is permitted to run soccer clubs if the option of sports washing is to be quashed.
Unfortunately, money talks in professional soccer, and it seems that owners with big enough pockets will always succeed in purchasing the clubs of their choosing.
Saudi Arabia picked Newcastle United first, but who’s next on their shopping list? Only time will tell.