Cristiano Ronaldo has had a difficult start to life in Saudi Arabia. The recently turned 38-year-old Portuguese striker has failed to make positive headlines so far in his Al-Nassr tenure. One of his teammates has finally talked about the Ronaldo situation.
Cristiano Ronaldo left his former club Manchester United under very questionable circumstances and no European clubs seemed brave enough to take a gamble on him. Saudi club Al-Nassr however always tailed the Portuguese and landed him on a $214 million a year deal, which will last till 2025.
Ronaldo’s decision to join the Saudi Arabian outfit in January was mostly unpopular due to the lack of high-level competition in the Saudi Pro League. The media and the fans talked about money being the biggest motivation behind his move. Ronaldo however made his point clear about why he joined Al-Nassr and seemed determined to do well.
He had to complete a two-match FA-handed ban due to his unprofessional behavior back in Manchester United days. Ronaldo made his Saudi debut in a friendly against Lionel Messi’s PSG. He scored two goals in a 5-4 loss for the Riyadh All-Stars. But his league performances haven’t been anywhere near reflective of his performance against PSG.
Al-Nassr manager blames Cristiano Ronaldo for Saudi Super cup exit 😳 pic.twitter.com/B5gdwJJHOT
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) January 27, 2023
The 38-year-old had a very forgetful competitive debut against Ettifaq in a 1-0 Al-Nassr victory. Anderson Talisca’s goal was the saving grace for Ronaldo that night. In the next match, however, Al-Ittihad proved to be too much for Al-Nassr. Ronaldo’s team played Al-Ittifaq in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final tie. And they were handed a reality check with a 3-1 loss.
Al-Nassr teammate talks about Cristiano Ronaldo’s problem
Al-Nassr’s next match against Al Fateh wasn’t a very good one either. Al-Nassr played a catch-up game after they fell behind twice by Al Fateh. Cristiano Ronaldo had a quiet game but shined in the dying moments of the match. He scored a 93rd-minute penalty to salvage a 2-2 draw for Al-Nassr. It kept them top of the league with equal points, 34 alongside Al-Shadab. But Al-Nassr has a game in hand.
His teammate Luiz Gustavo has talked about Al-Nassr’s recent bad results and Ronaldo’s bad form. In an interview with RT Arabic, he said, “Certainly, the presence of Cristiano makes it difficult for us, as all teams seek to participate against him in the best possible way, and he gives motivation to everyone.” The former Bayern man thinks that opponents are upping their game due to Ronaldo’s presence and it is making things difficult for Al-Nassr.
🎙 Luiz Gustavo: “Since Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival, our opponents have been giving their 200%. Cristiano Ronaldo was born playing under pressure and his presence helps a lot.” pic.twitter.com/RM816rRcGS
— TCR. (@TeamCRonaldo) February 3, 2023
After that Gustavo added to it by saying, “His presence at Al-Nassr gives a great advantage to the group because we learn from him every day, given the great capabilities he possesses, both technically and physically.” The Brazilian also expressed that he wishes Ronaldo to stay till the end of his contract and help Al-Nassr become a better club.
Luiz Gustavo and Al-Nassr are certain that their star signing will come good and given the abilities, the Portuguese still possesses at 38, is stunning.
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