Mercato Mercato – Cristiano Ronaldo: more than a transfer, a source of inspiration for Saudi Arabia

He wanted to play the Champions League, he will play it. But it won’t be what he expected. Without a club since the termination of his contract with Manchester United at the end of November, Cristiano Ronaldo signed up this Friday for two and a half years with the Saudi club Al-Nassr, which regularly plays in the Asian Champions League. “CR7” could have chosen an end to his career in the United States, like others before him, but the Portuguese took everyone on the wrong foot. It is true well helped by a staggering salary of 200 million euros over two and a half years.

“I can’t wait to discover a new football league in a different countryhe said, quoted on his new club’s Twitter account and posing with his new jersey, yellow and blue, stamped with his usual number 7. Al-Nassr’s vision for men’s and women’s football is very inspiring, we could see during the World Cup that Saudi Arabia was a country with a lot of ambition and potential“His arrival in Saudi Arabia indeed highlights a little-known championship and above all a country which emphasizes sport, like its neighbor Qatar which has just organized the Football World Cup, to change its image and make people forget his human rights violations.

“History is being writtensaid club president Musalli Al-muammar, whose team has been coached since July by Frenchman Rudi Garcia. This transfer will not only inspire our club to be even more successful, but it will inspire our league, our country and future generations of boys and girls to perform at their best.“.”He is one of the best players of all time who has confirmed that he is starting a new adventure in Saudi Arabia“, for his part welcomed the Minister of Sports, Prince Abdelaziz ben Turki al-Fayçal.

Since last summer, he had been looking to leave Manchester United and the arrival of Erik ten Hag on the bench, which limited his playing time, did not help matters. In a scathing 90-minute TV interview with journalist Piers Morgan in November, just before the World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo settled scores with Manchester United and lashed out at their past and present coaches, leaders and former teammates. In the process, the Mancunian club announced the termination of its contract “by mutual agreement”. And the end of CR7’s European adventure.