The big-name football stars who have followed in the footsteps of by heading to Saudi Arabia have enjoyed lucrative deals, but not all is well with the apparent revolution. Despite enticing some iconic names to the , league bosses have failed to draw in the crowds for top-level matches, with attendances as low as under 1000 for some games.

Furthermore, while the players themselves can enjoy life-changing wages and luxurious surroundings, many wives and girlfriends have been left perturbed. With the country long criticised for its poor women's rights record, under Saudi law, unmarried couples are still forbidden from living together. Ronaldo and his partner, Georgina Rodriguez are an exception to the rule, though, having been given special dispensation to live together in a 17-bedroom villa in Riyadh.

Express Sport looks inside the lives of the WAGS in Saudi...

Abuse over outfits and ban

While rules over women's clothing have been relaxed in recent years, attitudes remain unchanged in many parts of the country. The footballers' partners have encountered abuse from locals who don't approve of their attire.

"It's very hard for expat women in Saudi Arabia, especially if the locals feel you are not dressed properly," one footballer's partner told the . "On one occasion, I was shouted at just because my shoulders and part of my legs were showing.

"We're not allowed to wear shorts in public, despite the heat. You can't even wear them on the beach. And if you do, people look at you as if they hate you. It can be very intimidating."

Hissed at and harassed

It's not the partners based in Saudi to have encountered problems. Cristina Palavra, wife of Real Mallorca midfielder Dani Rodríguez, had a frightening ordeal after his side's defeat to in January's Spanish Super Cup final.

"The boys from this country started taking photos of us up close and harassed us," Palvara told Esports IB3. "We felt a little disoriented because we didn't have anyone protecting us We went with the children and there was no security."

Natalia Kaluzova, the partner of goalkeeper Dominik Greif, described being hissed at and harassed, adding: "They came into our group and were doing videos of us and pushed us, they groped us, shoved phones into our faces and filmed us."

Stars basing themselves in Bahrain

Some stars have circumvented the issue by living over the border in Bahrain, where females are not subjected to the same laws and scrutiny. Both during their respective spells at Al-Ettifaq, with Gerrard commuting an hour to training daily.