29 November 2023 , 12:39
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Saudi Arabia have made another huge statement signing - by poaching Manchester City’s top commercial executive.
Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal are appointing City’s chief commercial officer Esteve Calzada. It's a significant capture, given he has been part of the City Football Group for the past 12 years.
Calzada, who began at Barcelona, will take up his role as the club’s new chief executive in January having been regarded as one of the best in the business. He was also seen as a huge part of City’s Catalan power base under the Pep Guardiola regime.
It underlines Saudi’s determination not just to sign the biggest name players but also recruit top executives to grow their league in an ambition to challenge the Premier League. Calzada oversaw a record-breaking commercial year in the Treble success which helped City achieve their highest ever revenue, enjoyed record profits and saw them named the most valuable football club brand in the Brand Finance Football 50 list.
Commercial revenues were worth £341.4m followed by broadcast revenue of £299.4m and then match day at £71.9m which helped City to a record profit of £80.4m which was nearly the previous best. Saudi have made a habit of recruiting the best directors after also getting Domingos Soares de Oliveira who went from Benfica to Al-Ittihad and Roma director Guido Fienga went to Al Nassar as their new CEO.
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Calzada will now go to Al-Hilal as their new CEO and the Saudi Pro League club welcomed him as “the most renowned sports marketer.” It said in a statement: “Mr Calzada has accumulated more than decades of experience as a senior executive in the sports sector, beginning his tenure in 2002 where he served as chief commercial and marketing director of FC Barcelona and most recently serving as Chief Commercial Officer at City Football Group.”
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Al-Hilal, owned by the Saudi Public investment Fund, currently sit top of the Saudi Pro League. They have Jorge Jesus as manager and star players like Neymar, Ruben Neves and Alexander Mitrovic.
After 14 league games, the club remains unbeaten with 12 wins and two draws. But Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr are just four points behind them ahead of a huge game between the two on Friday, December 1.
But while the extortionate spending power of the Saudi Pro League remains, games are yet to reel in big attendances. On average, just short of 8,500 fans have attended each match this season, with some games accumulating less than 1,000 spectators.