“I’m quite sure” – Newcastle United co-owner believes its a matter of time for Saudi Pro League teams to make it to the UCL

Newcastle United co-owner, Amanda Staveley has expertly stated her views on the future of European football. The Ripon-born businesswoman said that there would be a Saudi Pro League club playing in the Champions League, owing to the petrodollar land maneuver in recent years. 

Staveley, who currently holds 10 percent of the club shares, said that everything is possible. “I am quite sure there will be a Saudi club in the Champions League,” speaking at the Bloomberg Summit via The Athletic. “I don’t know how long but, knowing Saudi, I don’t think it’ll take too long.”

As a minority holder of Newcastle’s shares, Staveley obviously has access to Saudi money. Considering her position, such rumours are not something to be overlooked. In fact, Saudi has started to do such unimaginable things when it comes to European football. 

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Started with luring some notorious names to play in their Saudi Pro League, and securing a multiple-year deal to host Supercoppa Italiana. In fact, what Staveley has said is not something new. Spanish football outlet Marca reported that rumours have spread about the Saudi Pro League participating in the Champions League. 

Staveley also revealed her struggles to build Newcastle from scratch when The Magpies were promoted to the Premier League years ago. 

“When you go in you have all the hype of trying to acquire the club,” she added. “It took us four years to do that. There needed to be a dramatic change. Because the club had been run in a very different format. 

“We had very few commercial revenues, we had a team that was aging, we had a fanbase that was very angry. We had to take this incredible club and inject it with some life.”

Last season, Newcastle returned to the Champions League for the first time since 2003. The club was struggling before the Saudi-backed investors came in. Especially when Mike Ashley was in charge as a club owner.