The Portuguese superstar has detailed his motivation for completing the move to the Saudi Arabia club.
Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has finally lifted the lid on what inspired his decision to complete a move to Al-Nassr. Ahead of his grand unveiling as a new player of the Saudi club, the 38-year-old addressed the media, citing the end to his adventure in Europe and his desire to continue scoring goals as his motivations.
On Tuesday, Ronaldo was unveiled as a new Al-Nassr player in front of thousands of fans inside the club’s Mrsool Park in Riyadh. The ceremony came days after the Portuguese talisman penned a contract that runs until 2025. The player’s decision also marked an end to a couple of months of uncertainty surrounding his future after he reached an agreement with Manchester United to terminate his contract.
Speaking to the media ahead of the unveiling ceremony, Ronaldo stated that he was ‘very happy and proud’ to decide to join Al-Nassr’, insisting that he had no regrets about the switch as he was looking forward to the new challenge.
“I am so proud to make this decision in my life. In Europe, my work is done. I played in the most important clubs. For me now, it’s a new challenge, as you mentioned in Asia. I am glad and thankful to Al-Nassr for giving me this opportunity to show and develop not only football but also the younger generation. For me, it’s a challenge, but I feel very happy and very proud.
“This is a great opportunity, not only in football but also to change the mentality of the newer generation,” Ronaldo added.
“Nobody knows, but I can say now that I had many opportunities in Europe, many clubs in Brazil, in Australia, in US even in Portugal, many clubs tried to sign me. But I gave my word to this club, for the opportunity to develop not only football but this amazing country. I know what I want and, of course, what I don’t want as well.
“So, it’s a good chance to change and help with my knowledge and experience. To help grow many important points, for instance, the women’s team. Many people don’t know, but Al-Nassr also has a women’s football team, and I want to give a different vision of the country, of football, and the perspective of everybody. So, this is why I took this opportunity,” the Portuguese striker stated.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner also revealed that his family is happy about his move and were fully supportive of his decision to make the switch to Saudi Arabia. “They are happy as well. When I take decisions, my family always support me – especially my kids. The welcoming was amazing. We feel good here. Saudi Arabian people are lovely to my family and me. So I am proud.”
Cristiano Ronaldo’s record contract makes him the highest-paid football player in history, with the Portuguese earning a whooping $75 million per year.
Al Nassr look to ‘galacticos’ era after signing Ronaldo
RIYADH: Few expected Cristiano Ronaldo to rock up in Riyadh but Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr came up with the cash when it counted to pull off the biggest coup in Gulf football history.
Despite a stack of domestic titles the Riyadh outfit has seen little success on the wider stage, enjoying their best days in Gulf and Asian competition in the 1990s.
Bulgarian striker Hristo Stoichkov, like Ronaldo a former Ballon d’Or winner, scored the only goal in their finest triumph when Al Nassr, known as “The International”, lifted the 1998 Asian Cup Winners Cup.
Al Nassr will now hope Ronaldo, a surprise capture for an estimated 200 million euros until June 2025, can fire them to the Asian Champions League victories enjoyed by rivals Al Hilal and Al Ittihad.
The club is even eyeing other high-profile coups, including Real Madrid’s Croatian playmaker Luka Modric and France midfielder N’Golo Kante, said an official who asked not to be named.
“We will celebrate Ronaldo tomorrow and continue to work… towards high-level signings,” he said, adding that Al Nassr is looking to put together the “new galacticos”.
Stoichkov, who played only two matches, was the last superstar to pull on the shirt of Al Nassr, who were formed as an amateur team in 1955 and have racked up nine Saudi league titles.
Ronaldo, 37, is on a different level again, bagging five Ballons d’Or as he collected five European Champions League titles and a host of domestic honours, along with a considerable personal fortune and millions of adoring fans. While the resource-rich Gulf has attracted its share of ageing stars, including George Weah, Pep Guardiola and Xavi, the Portuguese – and his enormous salary – is taking the region’s football into uncharted waters.
Al Nassr play at Mrsool Park in the Saudi capital, which was inaugurated in 2015 and has a 25,000 capacity – a far cry from Ronaldo’s previous stomping grounds including Real Madrid’s 81,000-seat Santiago Bernabeu.
Club president Musalli Al-Muammar, the ex-head of the Saudi Pro League with a marketing and media background, took over in April 2021, succeeding a series of high-ranking Saudi royals.
Ronaldo joins a team marshalled by French coach Rudi Garcia that includes Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina, Brazilian midfielder Luiz Gustavo and Cameroonian forward Vincent Aboubakar.
Al Nassr’s most distinguished player to date was Majid Abdullah, the legendary striker who scored 72 goals and helped the Saudi national team win the Asian Cup in 1984 and 1988.
But their heyday came in the 1990s, winning the Asian Cup Winners’ Cup and the Asian Super Cup in 1998 to gain a spot in the inaugural Club World Cup in 2000 and earn their nickname “The Internationals”.
Al Nassr, with their signature blue-and-yellow kit, have also clinched six King Cups along with three victories each in the Saudi Crown Prince Cup and the Saudi Federation Cup.
Source: livesoccertv.com; thenews.com.pk
