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沙特阿拉伯缩减体育宏伟蓝图之际,胡塞武装冲突为其投下阴影Houthi conflict casts shadow as Saudi Arabia scales back sporting pipe dreams

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克里斯蒂亚诺·罗纳尔多在对阵费尔干纳石油工人队的比赛后戴上沙特围巾,此前该场比赛因导弹预警而延迟。照片:路透社Cristiano Ronaldo dons a Saudi scarf after the match against Neftchi Fergana that was delayed by a missile warning. Photograph: Reuters

一场因导弹袭击警告而推迟的比赛并不是克里斯蒂亚诺·罗纳尔多及其队友们签约时所期望的,但这已成为新现实;沙特阿拉伯的体育巨轮正在停滞不前。克里斯蒂亚诺·罗纳尔多抓起一条印有沙特阿拉伯国旗颜色的围巾,向稀疏但热情的观众挥舞,人群报以热烈的欢呼。这是一个挑衅的姿态,而非胜利的敬礼,概括了沙特版的“保持冷静,继续前行”。

A match delayed by missile attack warnings is not what Cristiano Ronaldo and co signed up for but it’s the new reality; the Saudi sporting juggernaut is stalling Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed the scarf in the colours of the Saudi Arabian flag and waved it at the sparse but enthusiastic crowd, who responded with rapturous cheers. It was a gesture of defiance rather than a victory salute, encapsulating the Saudi equivalent of “Keep calm and carry on”.

泰森·富里与奥eksandr Usyk于2024年12月在利雅得对决。拳击运动很可能在沙特的体育大瘦身中幸存下来。照片:Nick Potts/PATyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk fight in Riyadh in December 2024. Boxing is likely to survive the Saudi sporting cull. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA

周一晚间,利雅得胜利与乌兹别克斯坦球队费尔干纳内夫特奇之间的亚洲冠军联赛精英赛以沙特俱乐部3比1的胜利告终,该队由安热·波斯特科格鲁执教,在萨迪奥·马内支援下的罗纳尔多取得了进球,星星点点的球星名字彰显了沙特职业足球联赛的吸引力。然而,这并不完全是罗纳尔多和队友们预料中的利雅得生活。

Monday night’s Asian Champions League Elite game between Al-Nassr and the Uzbek side Neftchi Fergana had ended with a 3-1 win for the Saudi club coached by Ange Postecoglou, with Ronaldo, supported by Sadio Mané, scoring, the smattering of star names indicative of the lure of the Saudi Pro League. Yet this isn’t quite how Ronaldo and co would have anticipated life in Riyadh.

“我们不能仅依赖单一商品”:纽卡斯尔联队主席亚西尔·鲁迈扬表示,沙特阿拉伯需要摆脱对石油的单一依赖,实现经济多元化。照片:Lee Smith/Action Images/Reuters‘We cannot just rely on one commodity’: Newcastle’s chair, Yasir al-Rumayyan, has said Saudi Arabia needs to diversify away from oil. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images/Reuters

除了微弱的上座率之外,周一的比赛因来自也门胡塞武装的导弹袭击威胁而延误。开赛前15分钟发布的安全警告,是在胡塞武装对利雅得哈立德国王国际机场的袭击造成13人死亡、300多人受伤两天后发出的。

The meagre attendance aside, Monday’s game was delayed by a threat of missile attacks from Yemen’s Houthi rebels. A safety warning issued 15 minutes before kick-off came two days after 13 people died and more than 300 were wounded by Houthi strikes on Riyadh’s King Khalid international airport.

纽卡斯尔联队很可能将继续获得沙特政权的充足资金支持,但巨额支出将不会发生。照片:Richard Sellers/PANewcastle are likely to continue to be well funded by the Saudi regime but huge spending will not happen. Photograph: Richard Sellers/PA