SAUDI ARABIA: Portugal legend and Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly set to end his Saudi Pro League strike and face Al-Ittihad in a high-voltage clash on Friday, according to Goal.
The report came after the five-time Ballon d’Or winner sat out a derby with Al-Riyadh after supposedly growing frustrated at how transfer funds are being distributed across teams in the Middle East.
Earlier, ESPN reported that Ronaldo would boycott his second consecutive Saudi Pro League match on Friday amid frustration with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) over its management and investment in the club.
The Al-Nassr star had not featured in the club’s 1-0 win over Al Riyadh on Monday, in protest of PIF’s alleged lack of investment in Al Nassr and to give their arch-rivals, Al Hilal, an advantage and greater effect.
Ronaldo tried to block the transfer of French football icon Karim Benzema from Al Ittihad to Al Hilal on Monday, believing the move was unfair and that PIF wanted to pave the way for an Al Hilal title win, sources told ESPN. Ronaldo trained with his team this week and posted pictures on social media on Wednesday wearing Al Nassr colors.
But on the club’s official X, there were only pictures of coach Jorge Jesus and other teammates training, not of Cristiano.
Al Nassr, which sits at second place behind Al Hilal, trailing by one point with 46 points, faces Al Ittihad, the sixth-placed side, on Friday. In recent months, the sporting director of Al Nassr, Simao Coutinho and the CEO Jose Gouveia were suspended from their posts by PIF.
This move triggered Cristiano’s anger and hampered the arrival of top players for the team, and there was also a cut in the club’s expenses. But as sources told ESPN, Al Hilal, on the other hand, got a massive financial booster from Saudi prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud, a businessman who is also one of the club’s major benefactors.
Sources have also told ESPN that all of Al Hilal’s signings in this window, including Benzema, were funded by Waleed, who is a part of the group with 25 per cent ownership of the clubs, with the rest owned by PIF.
According to sources, Cristiano is frustrated with the situation in Saudi Arabia and has yet to win a major title with the club. He has offers from clubs across Europe and the USA, but he does not want to accept them to avoid any effect on his FIFA World Cup prep. As per sources, with the Saudi Pro League not keen to lose one of their biggest superstars, Al Nassr and PIF have promised Cristiano big investments coming in the summer, with his Portugal teammate and Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes as one of these.
