Sports media figure Faris Al-Fazi ignited a wave of controversy following provocative statements he made after Al-Ittihad's victory over Al-Faihah in the Roshan League, where he candidly discussed the popularity of Saudi clubs.

During his appearance on television, Al-Fazi asserted that Al-Ittihad leads the list of clubs in terms of fan popularity, noting that this assessment is based on clear numbers and statistics, as he put it.

Al-Fazi added: "Al-Ittihad surpasses Al-Hilal by a significant margin in terms of fan attendance at stadiums, and this is evidenced by the stands during matches, not digital platforms."

He clarified that the true measure of popularity is reflected in the extent of stadium occupancy, emphasizing that clubs unable to attract 25,000 fans do not deserve to be classified as the most popular.

In conclusion, Al-Fazi called for a reevaluation of the mechanisms for measuring popularity, considering that real numbers manifest within stadiums, not through follower counts on social media.