Look how they massacred my boy...

History repeats itself.

That's what they teach us, from politics to sports, as every new revolution, achievement or move triggers an inevitable reminiscent of past days and somewhat similar moments.

Take a look at football, for instance. Back in the 70s, the United States was a hotbed of spending spree in football (or soccer, as they call it), attracting numerous high-profile veteran stars to the MLS like Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, George Best, Johan Cruyff and others. The euphoria lasted a couple of years, if not an entire decade, before it vanished somewhere in the wilderness of the Mojave desert.

From that moment on, for another 40 years, the relief of world football remained pretty much the same. Top stars were gathering around La Liga, Premier League, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A giants and that European-oriented world order was undisturbed. At least until China and its government opened their doors to wild capitalism and invested ludicrous sums of money into the game in the previous decade. The reincarnation of that MLS used the same pattern as their American predecessors - offer a mind-blowing salary to a star whose glory days are over, or to some younger mid-level player who can provide you with a substantial commercial potential.

In the span of just a year or two, it brought China such names like Didier Drogba, Nikolas Anelka, Axel Witsel, Marouane Fellaini, Demba Ba, Gervinho, Alexandre Pato, Hulk, Paulinho, Carlos Tevez... The latter left Juventus in order to join Shanghai Shenhua for 800,000 euros per week. Or if you prefer - 1,32 euros every single second!

But that 'Made in China' bubble exploded as soon as Chinese president Xi Jinping concluded the taxpayers were not least interested in the expensive toy he bought them for their own money. Fewer fans attended games than in the FKF Super League, just for comparison.

So when the recent Saudi money splash reached the shores of Europe following Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival to Al-Nassr, we were almost unanimous, confidently concluding - nah, history repeats itself, this won't last for long.

And for some time, less than a year to be precise, the Arabian adventure indeed seemed like a carbon copy of that Chinese playground. CR7 got himself a company of Benzema, Kante, Mane, Mahrez, Henderson and other high-profile stars more than willing to fly to the Arabian desert so they would add a few bobs to their retirement funds.

'Been there, done that', one would say.

But then came Gabri Veiga.

And instead of repeating itself, history took a different path, leaving us all in a state of shock.

The 21-year-old Spanish wonderboy, raised in Celta's youth setups, agreed on a deal with the Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, with the Jedaah-based club paying a 40.000.000 euros transfer fee. One of the most prominent prospects in the world of football, who was rumoured to be in talks with Manchester United, Liverpool, Newcastle United and Napoli, ends up in one of the state-owned Saudi slots.

This is unprecedented, and no history lesson can teach us what's next. Veiga is anything but a veteran, past his prime, with only a few seasons left before the retirement, like those guys were.

The finest European gem, who is yet to shine, moves to a distant desert, setting an example that could cause a genuine avalanche in the months and years to come. A proper revolution.

For all of us accustomed to football as it used to be until Wednesday night and the news of Veiga's transfer, things look disastrous. And one legendary movie quote keeps popping up in our minds, as we feel like good old Don Vito Corleone holding his beloved son Sonny, who was shot dead in a trap.

"Look how they massacred my boy."

By: BOJAN BABIC