Sami Al-Jaber's Bold Plan to Rescue Saudi Football: An All-Saudi Club?

Context and the Proposal

Sami Al-Jaber, a legend of Al-Hilal and the Saudi national team, proposed what he calls an ideal fix for the national squad, whose players have been short of meaningful minutes.

In recent weeks, public debate has swirled around the team's decline, blamed on big clubs' reluctance to rely on Saudi players and a reliance on foreign stars.

That was evident in the Green's form, who qualified for the World Cup via the playoff despite more Asian teams competing, and who were also knocked out of the Arab Cup last week in Qatar at the semi-final.

All-Saudi Club: Diriyah’s Ambition and the Road Ahead

In a televised interview, Al-Jaber proposed a project in which a club would consist solely of Saudi players, drawn from the senior and Olympic teams, with no foreigners.

He pointed to European precedents, citing Athletic Bilbao as an example of a club that bans players from outside Spain.

Al-Jaber hopes Diriyah Club could embody and implement this project, carrying its pride and ambition into reality.

When asked about Diriyah's ability to challenge top Saudi teams and to compete against global stars like Savic, Benzema and Ronaldo, he said that Saudi players, if 100 percent prepared, will defend both club colors and national colors on the same pitch, provided they are internationals.

Diriyah's standing after 12 rounds of the First Division (Yelo) is third with 24 points, three behind the leaders Abha.

The top two teams earn direct promotion to the Roshan Pro League, while the four from third to sixth enter a playoff to win the third spot.

Punchline 1: If this plan fails, at least they’ll have a legendary ego to fuel the press conferences.

Punchline 2: If Diriyah rises, we’ll finally watch a homegrown team that doesn’t need foreign playbooks to win.