QUESTIONS APLENTY, ANSWERS NOT ON TAP

Players and officials in Saudi Pro League not given to speak freely at interviews

- Deepanraj Ganesan

JEDDAH - Luis Castro is one of the most experienced football managers around, having coached across three continents.

The 61-year-old Portuguese is used to speaking his mind. But, on Monday, when a question about the hot climate in Saudi Arabia was posed following the 2-1 loss to Al-Ettifaq, the Al-Nassr manager shot a glance at the press officer to check if he could answer it.

He got the nod of approval, and Castro proceeded to describe the need to adapt to the searing heat.

Flares and fervour lit up the opening week of the Saudi Pro League as it kicked off the season with a bang after spending close to a billion dollars to lure some of the game's biggest names.

But along with its stars, there was much less enthusiasm when it came to engaging the press in the six days The Straits Times spent reporting on the league.

Perhaps the powers that be were careful to maintain the image of the country and league, after spending billions to cultivate its reputation as a growing global player in football and sport.

Saudi Arabia's sporting ambitions have seen it investing in wrestling, boxing, Formula One and, more recently, golf though their rival upstart LIV Golf triggered plenty of backlash and criticism for taking away some of the game's big names from the PGA Tour.