BBC OS Conversations: Football in Saudi-Arabia

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Documentary, Society & Culture

4.3 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 12 August 2023

⏱️ 24 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

A new season of the Saudi Pro League is underway, now featuring some of the biggest names in football. Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante, among many others, have all signed-up to play in the country. It has shaken up the transfer window but it is not without its controversy. Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, who signed for a Saudi club for example, was a vocal advocate of LGBTQ+ rights. But in Saudi Arabia, sexual activity with people of the same sex is illegal and can be punishable by death. Henderson’s rainbow armbands have been edited to grey in recent promotional videos. Host James Reynolds hears from three international football fans, Cassie, Alex and Evan.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, I'm Hannah, and I'm very excited to be hosting What in the World, a new daily podcast
0:06.2	from the BBC World Service, where we try to help you make sense of the world around you,
0:11.3	of the big things that are happening, the small things that are happening, and everything
0:15.2	in between.
0:16.2	Search for What in the World, wherever you get your BBC podcasts, and hit subscribe.
0:21.7	Hello, I'm James Reynolds.
0:24.2	Welcome to the documentary from the BBC World Service.
0:28.0	In BBC OS conversations, we bring together people from around the world to share their experiences,
0:33.8	and this time, it's conversations on football in Saudi Arabia.
0:40.8	Top 14 clubs in Saudi Arabia have been buying up many of the world's most famous players,
0:46.3	but is this multi-million dollar spending spree about football, or is it part of a wider
0:51.4	effort to improve the country's image?
0:54.3	We have conversations with football fans.
0:56.4	We bring together a player in the women's competition, and her coach.
0:59.6	Honestly, yesterday I was just giving a speech to my players that you are going to live a prime
1:07.4	age of football in Saudi.
1:12.8	Since Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Al Nasser, the Saudi club, for a salary of more than $200
1:18.6	million a year, Saudi Arabia has been in the international football spotlight.
1:24.4	Ronaldo has since been followed by the likes of Karen Benzema and Golokante, Ruben Nevez,
1:30.3	and perhaps most controversially, the former Liverpool captain, Jordan Henderson, for Saudi
1:35.4	football fans.
1:37.2	Having some of the world's best players in their league can only be good news, something
	...

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