Real Madrid have won 3 league titles in the last 10 years (2017, 2020, 2022) as well as two domestic cups (2014, 2023). So that would be a domestic title every two years.
Thats more to do with the quality of football being absolutely dogshit, no one wants to waste their time on an unwatchable game of football, it doesn't mean the middle east doesn't love football.
That's a great question. Really only people from the last 10 years and the 1950s team can realistically be ahead of him and a handful at that. There are guys who played for Madrid during other periods who are better players (Zidane, R9 etc) but they're not greater Real Madrid players.
The Argentenian league is much better than any league in the Middle East, obviously you don't get how things work over there, maybe you should try watching a Syrian league game to fully get it, unless you like to say shit in total ignorance.
Being a strategic partner has no bearing on the average Joe perception of them. They do have a huge image problem, especially after Khashoggi
Partly what you say is true, they do compete with the other nations. But a significant piece of that competion is their popularity among the western people, being attractive to visit etc, where UAE is clearly winning. And that of course is also fundamental for a long term strategy for going past fossil fuels.
Really? The fact that they are important business-partners and allies with USA and other countries in the west (is also problematic, allthough strategically and economically important) has nothing to do with this. It is still very problematic. They are by far the worst dictatorship of the rich arabic absolute monarchies. Much worse than the Emirates and Qatar. If you don't think signing Ronaldo's or Benzema's to the Saudi Pro league with individual wages the exceeds the actual clubs total revenues by multiple x serves purposes outside of football, well, then...They still chop people's heads off by sword for speaking up against the regime, for blasphemi, for being non-hetero and for minor crimes. They are in the bottom 15% on the individual freedom index. It's very problematic and these stars knowingly saying yes to become posterboys for this regime for cash is a disgrace.
That's not true. Middle class people can and go to Dubai, you don't need to stay at Bruj Khalifa. Also, the rest of what you say is also not correct. Any person that needs to maintain a public image (models, influences, etc) absolutely cares what the average people who are their followers, think.
