Saudi Arabia are determined to lessen their dependence on oil by 2030 but their pursuit of the biggest names in sport is more likely to become a vanity project rather than a fulfilling policy.
The response to Cristiano Ronaldo's first football match in Dublin since 2009 underlined how little Irish football fans usually have to get excited about and why Stephen Kenny's mission to change must be all encompassing.
There was plenty to be encouraged by in Ireland's performance against Portugal, but the mistakes that contributed to defeat must be eliminated.
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