So Cristiano Ronaldo has said goodbye to the Premier League; and his new life with Al Nassr is about to begin.
He aims to help the Saudi club win its first league title since 2019 after making the sensational move, having signed a contract reported to be worth £170m a year. And Ronaldo is already loved by his new fans as 25,000 turned out to see him unveiled at the club, but they will have to wait a little while longer to see him in action.
It seemed likely that CR7 was set to make more Premier League 2023 news off the pitch than on it in England, and a tell-all interview in the British media made his position at Manchester United untenable. Since the club announced the 37 year old’s impending departure, the Red Devils’ results have taken an impressive upturn and the latest Premier League 2023 betting odds now rate Erik Ten Hag’s team as third favourites for the title.
Meanwhile at the World Cup in Qatar Portugal’s international team was full of stars but Ronaldo still dominated the headlines, not least when he was dropped by the manager for their Round of 16 World Cup clash with Switzerland, which the Selecao won 6-1.
He is box office stuff wherever he goes and Ronaldo is already one of the biggest names in Saudi Arabia. On his arrival in the Kingdom he said: “In Europe, my work is done. I won everything and now this is a new challenge.
“I had many opportunities in Europe, in Brazil, in Australia, in the US and even in Portugal clubs tried to sign me. But I gave my word to this club. This is a good chance to grow many important points there with my knowledge and my experience.” Corinthians chief Duilo Monteiro Alves said he had offered to match CR7’s Manchester United wage but could not get close to the deal struck with Al Nassr, whose supporters are delighted by the outcome.
Ronaldo is without doubt the biggest star ever to play in the Middle East but fans will have to be patient before they can watch him play. Last April he was accused of smashing a phone out of a young fan’s hand after a game against Premier League strugglers Everton and, in November, he was handed a fine and a two match ban by the English FA, the day after he left Manchester United.
The ban has been applied internationally and, as a result, Ronaldo missed his new club’s game against Al Ta’ee last Friday which ended in a 2-0 win and he will also sit out Al Nassr’s match against Al Shabab on 14th January. League top scorer Anderson Talisca scored a brace against Al Ta’ee and his team is at the summit of the Saudi Arabia Pro League with a four point lead; and so when he does make his home debut in two weeks time Ronaldo will line up for the table toppers, a position he is used to, having won seven league titles in his career across Europe. With CR7 in his side, head coach Rudi Garcia will have some serious questions to answer if they slip up in the run in.
Could Ronnie meet Messi in his opener?
While Ronaldo is due to open his Saudi Pro league account very soon, his new fans may have an opportunity to see him play before that, and there is a real possibility he could come up against his nemesis Lionel Messi in a showcase match to capture the attention of fans around the world.
The two megastars have won 12 Ballon D’Ors between them and it will be an endless source of frustration for CR7 that the Argentine maestro has won seven to his five, not to mention lifting the 2022 World Cup less than a month ago. They are set for a possible reunion in January when Paris Saint-Germain travel to Saudi Arabia to take part in a friendly match against a combined team from Al Nassr and Al Hilal.
The Riyadh Season Cup was due to take place in January 2022 but was shelved due to the COVID pandemic and now it is scheduled for 19th January. Here at SBOTOP we don’t tend to cover football in the Saudi domestic league…but that one might be worth watching!
It could well be the last time these two great players come face to face. And what an opening to Ronaldo’s new adventure this would be. It is certainly time for him to move on. His last club, Manchester United are looking stronger and Portugal were a better team without CR7 in the starting line-up, but in Saudi Arabia he has a new set of fans and a new challenge and, as always, it will be one heck of a ride.
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