Around 50,000 FC Koln fans were in attendance on Wednesday night to watch the club's Under-19 side take on Inter in the UEFA Youth League. The senior side are currently enduring a tough season in the Bundesliga but supporters have shown their appetite for the game by selling out the RheinEnergieStadion to watch the next generation in action against Serie A giants Inter.
Barcelona wonderkid Sama Nomoko has been ruled out for 12 months after a devastating injury blow. The 17-year-old winger suffered the setback during a UEFA Youth League match against Eintracht Frankfurt at the Estadi Johan Cruyff last week.
Arsenal sensation Max Dowman has caught the eye yet again with a sensational effort for the Gunners in a big UEFA Youth League win over Bavarian giants Bayern Munich. The 15-year-old brought back memories of club legend Mesut Ozil with a brilliant solo goal to help seal a 4-2 victory for the north Londoners on Wednesday at Mangata Developments Stadium.
Chelsea's trip to Qarabag for their midweek Champions League tie was marred by a racist incident. The abuse took place during the Youth League meeting between the two sides on Wednesday as the young Blues eased to a 5-0 win. Eyewitnesses have claimed that they saw and heard monkey gestures as Chelsea opened the scoring in the 57th minute and celebrated in close proximity to a section of fans.
Arsenal wonderkid Max Dowman scored twice in Europe for the Under-19s as the junior Gunners succumbed to a 4-3 loss at the hands of Atletico Madrid on Tuesday in the UEFA Youth League. At just 15 years of age, Dowman is considered one of the brightest prospects in Europe and has already started to play under Mikel Arteta with the senior squad this season.
Arsenal youth coach David Horseman has been handed a UEFA ban for an 'insulting' offence. Horseman, who recently joined the Gunners from Manchester United's youth team, was found guilty of insulting the opposition during Arsenal Under-19's UEFA Youth League clash against Athletic Club on September 16. The English side suffered a 3-1 loss away from home.
Al-Hilal are the most successful Saudi Pro League side ever, having won an astonishing 19 league titles. Their first-ever league title came at the end of the 1976-77 campaign. Currently, they are also the defending champions, having gone all the way in the 2023-24 season.
How many teams are in the Saudi Pro League?
Currently, there are 18 teams in the Saudi Pro League. In the first season ever, which took place in 1976-77, there were just eight teams. The number increased to 10 in the following season. Ahead of the 1981-82, Saudi Premier League and Saudi First Division merged to form one single league for the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification process. However, from the 1984-85 season, the number teams reverted to 12.
Who has made the most Saudi Pro League appearances ever?
Legendary Saudi Arabian goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Deayea holds the record for most appearances in the Saudi Pro League. Al-Deayea played for Al-Taee and Al-Hilal and managed 406 appearances inthe league.
Who is the all-time top scorer of the Saudi Pro League?
Majed Abdullah, also known as the Arabian Pele, is the league's all-time leading topscorer with 189 goals in 194 league games, all of them coming with Al-Nassr in a 21-year span. He is Al-Nassr's record goalscorer, with 259 goals in just 266 games.
Who has the most assists in the history of the Saudi Pro League?
Former Syrian midfielder Jehad Al-Hussain has registered the most assists in Saudi Pro League history, setting up 50 goals for his teammates in 208 games.
Who is the oldest player ever in the Saudi Pro League and how old was he?
Former Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary is the oldest player to ever feature in Saudi Pro League. El Hadary was 45 years and 81 days old when he featured for Al-Taawoun in April 2018.
Who is the youngest player ever in the Saudi Pro League and how old was he?
Teenage sensation Talal Haji, who plays for Al-Ittihad, is the youngest player to ever play in Saudi Pro League. Haji achieved this feat at the age of 16 years and five days when he came on as a substitute for Romarinho in Al-Ittihad's 2-1 win over Al-Fateh in September 2023.
Which famous players have played in the Saudi Pro League?
Cristiano Ronaldo, Riyad Mahrez, Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, N'Golo Kante, Sadio Mane, Yassine Bounou, Nacho, Aymeric Laporte, and Fabinho are among the most famous players to have played in the Saudi Pro League.
Which famous managers have managed in the Saudi Pro League?
Steven Gerrard, Laurent Blanc, and Stefano Pioli are some of Saudi Pro League's most prominent managers in history.
What is the biggest stadium in the Saudi Pro League?
The King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, which is home to Al-Shabab and Al-Riyadh, is the biggest stadium in Saudi Pro League. It has a capacity of 68,752.
Who is the most expensive player in the history of the Saudi Pro League?
Neymar is the most expensive player in Saudi Pro League history, costing a whopping £77.6 million when Al-Hilal bought him from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.