AFC Champions League: Rest of Asia has work to do to bridge chasm created by Saudi spending

Only one team from UAE remains in the top two competitions of continental football as Riyadh and Jeddah giants power on

Al Hilal's Brazilian forward Malcom, left, celebrates scoring their second goal against Pakhtakior with Marcos Leonardo, a summer signing from Benfica. Reuters

At the start of February, the manager of the UAE’s champion football club warned that Saudi Arabian spending would either crush everyone else in Gulf football or force them to invest to try to keep up.

Just over a month later, Milos Milojevic’s point has already been born out. While UAE involvement in the continent’s top club competition has ended, Saudi sides are bestriding it like giants.

The draw for the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite will take place on Monday. Three teams from the Kingdom – Al Hilal, Al Nassr and Al Ahli – are the financial powerhouses of the eight sides left standing.

The other participants from the west of Asia are Al Sadd, the two-time winners from Qatar, who knocked out Milojevic’s side, Al Wasl, in the last 16.

The make-up of the western half of the draw feels fitting in a competition which has two main sponsors from the Kingdom – Neom and Visit Saudi – with the other being Qatar Airways.

There is $10m on offer for the winners of Asia’s Champions League, and $4m for the losing finalists. Not exactly chump change, but the sort of figures that Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been leading the line for Nassr with distinction, would barely get out of bed for.

Ronaldo’s quarterly wages ($50m) are greater than the entire market value of the UAE’s costliest squad, which is that of outgoing Asian champions Al Ain ($49m).

That uses figures from the football statistics website transfermarkt.com. While market value figures are subjective, the source is consistent in its application.

According to that metric Al Wasl slightly overperformed by finishing fifth in the pool stage of the Champions League Elite.

Al Ain were the biggest underperformers. Their squad had the sixth best market value in the opening phase of the new format for Asia’s elite competition. Yet the defending champions finished dead last in the 12-team pool, surrendering their title with barely a whimper.

There is plenty of research that shows spend on wages, in particularly, corresponds closely to league positions in leading football leagues.

Milojevic, the Al Wasl manager, said it is difficult bridging the chasm to the Saudi clubs, but said his club are working hard to do it.

“We as coaches can work on things, and make the map for the players to travel,” Milojevic said. “In the two games [against Al Sadd], we created a lot of chances, in my eyes. We had a lot of shots on the goal.

“There is research – not just my idea – that says the more money you invest you will get more quality. I’m not the one who decides how much is invested in each country and I am happy with my players.

“For me, if you don’t have the biggest budget, you have to work more. You have to work smartly with recruiting and scouting, and you have to take your chances.”

Were it not for an 11-minute spell, inspired by Akram Afif in which Sadd scored three times, Wasl could foreseeably have progressed.

Milojevic said his side had been wasteful, but pointed out that Sadd have more experience of big games like that one.

They also have invested substantially. Their forward line included Claudinho, a Brazilian recruited for $22m in January, and Rafa Mujica, a Spanish striker who cost them $11m.

“I don’t think there is the type of investment there is in Qatar that there is in Saudi. Saudi is completely different,” Milojevic said.

“Unfortunately, I feel sorry for UAE and my club that we couldn’t have at least one club representing the country.”

There is at least one UAE side remaining in the Champions League Two, after Sharjah beat Dubai’s Shabab Al Ahli on penalties, in the small hours of Thursday morning. It was the second of five consecutive matches the UAE Pro League title rivals are playing against each other in various competitions.

Sharjah’s semi-final tie will pit them against a Saudi side – and one who prove the point that the lavish funding does not necessarily trickle down all the way through the league.

Al Taawoun upset expectations last season by finishing fourth, above Jeddah giants Al Ittihad and an Al Ettifaq side who were coached by Steven Gerrard.

Now under the guidance of one of just two Saudi coaches in the SPL, they are in mid-table in the league, but have progressed well in the continental competition.

Adel Taarabt, the former Tottenham Hotspur, AC Milan, and Benfica playmaker, said there is no reason for Sharjah to fear their next opponents just because they are from Saudi.

“They have a really strong competition and the league is much better than it used to be, but I think our league is good,” Taarabt said.

“We beat Shabab Al Ahli who are also a strong team. Let’s see. We are going to prepare well and we are going to go there to get through.”