Saudi Pro League (SPL) Vice Chair Saad Al-Lazeez, who was behind some of the league’s biggest player transfers, has resigned from his position.
Al-Lazeez first joined the league in 2021 before taking on the role of vice chair in 2023. He is regarded as one of the main architects of the SPL’s recruitment model, a catalyst for the league’s growth in recent years.
In 2023, Al-Lazeez’s first year in charge as Vice Chair, football supporters around the world began to take notice of the competition due to multiple headline transfers. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the players he helped garner SPL attention, with the Portuguese striker signing for Al-Nasr on a free transfer.
Ronaldo’s impact on the league’s growth has been unimaginable, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner quickly becoming the face of the SPL due to his cult-like following who tune in to the division from around the world to watch him play.
In addition to the general surprise at Ronaldo’s move to Saudi Arabia, the media honed in on his new wages. The former Real Madrid player currently takes home around $207m a year – making him the most-paid footballer in the history of the sport.
Al-Lazeez reaffirmed that this was part of a strategy and not just a one-off transfer, signing the likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kanté, Sadio Mané, Riyad Mahrez and Neymar in the following transfer windows.
Before his work growing the Saudi league, Al-Lazeez was a Director at Championship club Sheffield United.
According to reports, he is now set to start in a senior role at a Saudi first-division club NEOM SC, which is currently spearheaded by Nottingham Forest’s former Club Director Kyriakos Dourekas.
In this new position, he will support NEOM’s ongoing project of building a new stadium ahead of the 2034 FIFA World Cup, which is set to be hosted in Saudi Arabia.
