Jordan Henderson may claim that his move to Saudi Arabia was unrelated to money, but he now plays for Al-Ettifaq in front of crowds that are below 1,000.
The summer saw a drastic decline for Henderson, who had previously played in one of the top football environments in the world with crowds that reached the thirties.
He was roundly criticized for his recent interview with The Athletic, in which he attempted to justify his choice to sign with Saudi Pro League team Al-Ettifaq and stated that it wasn’t financial.
He joined Steven Gerrard’s new team in the Middle East because “I wanted something that would excite me,” he said.
But despite the renovation of the Saudi top flight, which included a large investment from the Public Investment Fund of the royal family, the interest seems to still be lacking.
In reality, according to ESPN, only 976 spectators were present for Henderson’s most recent match for Al-Ettifaq, a 3-1 victory away to Abha.
In Gerrard’s midfield, Moussa Dembele, an ex-Celtic striker, began alongside Gini Wijnaldum, and Demarai Gray came off the bench.
The game featuring the Saudi Pro League’s top draw, Cristiano Ronaldo, drew the largest attendance of any of his outings, with 13,930 spectators in the stands.
A close second was the away game against Al Hilal, which attracted 13,656 spectators. Al Hilal is one of the four state-owned clubs, together with Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Ahli.
The Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium in Al-Ettifaq has a claimed official capacity of 26,000, which means that on average, the club fills little over 25% of the seats.
The Reds’ two home games this season have drawn 49,699 and 50,109 spectators, despite the recent setbacks in the rebuilding of the Anfield Road End.
Although the stadium’s eventual capacity of about 61,000 is seen as a letdown, it is nothing compared to Henderson’s new business.
