Arabian Green in Newcastle

The green second kit of Newcastle This season has undisguised commercial and strategic nods. It is very similar to Saudi Arabia. His players have shown this against Brighton & Hove Albion in Premier and, in making that move, the sports brand Castore has strengthened ties between the Riyadh monarchy and the club from the Tyne capital. This economic-sporting nexus has been assumed without major problems or protests at St James’ Park and the ‘magpies’ faithful. This is enhanced with every step the club takes, with a studied planning and financial alliance to become a ‘big’ European club.

Marketing ‘Arabian green’ works well for Newcastle, there has already been a significant sale, as the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the Saudi public investment fund, took over 80% of the club’s ownership and results improved to put the team in the long-awaited Champions League. During the international break, the Saudi national team, now led by the Italian Roberto Manciniplayed two planned friends playing at home at Saint James’ Park.

Although the results were very discrete, with two defeats against Costa Rica (1-3) and South Korea (0-1), and the stadium was half empty, the matches served the Saudis as part of a studied strategy to clean up their image in Europe and clear identity in Newcastlewhich aspires to be the Arabs’ favorite club.

The new commercial and economic reality of Newcastle was lavished step by step, and the signs of dissatisfaction Initial protests in some sectors of ‘Geordie’ fans, who are very attached to their local traditions, due to complaints of repeated human rights violations by the Saudi monarchy, now seem to be left behind . During the two days of the match, there were only timid protests outside the stadium, by local pressure groups NUFC Fans Against Sportswashingthe most active in denouncing the abuses of the Saudi regime.

Its members held banners and posters with pictures of jailed Saudi activists outside the stadium, but did not cause serious tension. ‘Fans have power‘(“Fans have power”). With this slogan the protest group urged the fans of Newcastle to speak out against the Saudi regime. At the same time, groups of ‘Green Falcons’ supporters gathered at the stadium as an opportunity to meet the large Arab community living in the United Kingdom.

Interests of Sela, the new sponsor. He Newcastle It wants to be the foreign club with the best support in Saudi Arabia, but its leaders have tight control over the Premier and know that the fastest way to release the financial limits is to increase commercial income, because they the way to raise the financial limit. fair fight the documentary’We are Newcastle United‘, as well as the Saudi-themed t-shirts from the last two seasons, are part of the same campaign. Such as new sponsorships and advertising signs in the stadium asking fans to follow the club’s Arabic Twitter account and register as international members.

The clubs competing in Newcastle and the City of Manchester, doing the same with the Abu Dhabi regime, can only push to implement more rules and controls on any sudden injection of capital. The two Saint James’Park friendlies will be seen as a hole. The sponsor of the new shirt of Newcastle, Selaan events company owned by the PIF that pays around €29 million for advertising space, is closely linked to the Saudi national team and is the link between Newcastle in the Arab monarchy’s Vision 2030 strategy.

The Saudi kingdom and the crown prince Mohammed bin Salman They are looking for alternatives to the country’s oil-based economy, and one of them is international sports relations, as well as opening the country to tourism. Sela It is one of the public companies in charge of this mission of strengthening the hegemony of Saudi Arabia as the main power in the Middle East and improving the tourist image of the country.

And it’s all part of a measured plan to divert attention from human rights abuses, which include oppressive laws imposed on minorities, unfair trials, the death penalty, and extreme restrictions on freedom of expression, such as the persecution of the LGBTI collective.

Right now, the Saudis prioritize improving their international image, and are in the process of softening it. That’s him Newcastle UnitedEdit use the colors of the national team on their shirt and an Arab sponsor is, according to Amnesty International, “clear evidence of sports washing” by the Gulf regime.

The club reiterated that the property, the PFI fund, is a separate entity from the Saudi State, but the visible head of the fund, who acts as non-executive president, is Yasir Al-Rumayyanwhich was installed by the Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman six years ago.

There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia is following the strategy initiated by Qatar more than ten years ago, and it has brought enormous returns in terms of international exposure. The Saudis do not want to be left behind, and in their approach to sports diplomacy there is no showcase like football, which they will take full advantage of in the coming months, with Newcastle fighting for a place among the best European clubs