Cristiano Ronaldo, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who left Manchester United in November, has signed to Al-Nassr until 2025 for an estimated global salary of 200 million euros ($211 million).
“In Europe my work is over, I’ve won everything, I’ve played for the most important clubs,” said the Portuguese footballer in a press appearance.
“I have come here to win, to play, to enjoy, to be part of the success of this country and of the culture of this country,” added Ronaldo, who assured that he opted for the offer from the Saudi club, declining the “numerous” proposals that came to him not only from Europe, but also from “Brazil, Australia, the United States and even Portugal”.
Cristiano Ronaldo, recent movement in 40 years of early retirement star signings in the Gulf
CR7, who holds the record for goals scored in the UEFA Champions League and is the top scorer at the national team level, assured that football has changed a lot in the last twenty years, citing the recent victory in the World Cup in Saudi Arabia over Argentina, who ultimately took the title.
“I am a unique player and for me coming to Saudi Arabia is not the end of my career. I have broken all the records there (in Europe) and I want to break others here. And to be honest, I don’t worry at all about what people might say”, Ronaldo insisted, giving a new sample of his usual ego.
Saudi Arabia, a desert country of 35 million inhabitants, has been shaken by ‘Ronaldomania’ since the announcement of his signing for an estimated salary of 200 million euros (211 million dollars) until June 2025.
The main routes of the capital were covered with posters with the phrase “Hala (welcome) Ronaldo”; fans queued in the street to buy Al-Nassr shirts bearing the name of the Portuguese star and his emblematic N.7; the yellow and blue club’s Instagram account gained millions of followers in a few hours.
“Asia has never seen anything like this,” says the Anglophone newspaper Gulf News, based in Dubai. “Wherever he goes, he will attract attention and although only 10% of his followers are interested in his new club, the Saudi League will become one of the most followed in the world,”
Duel against Felipe Caicedo in sight
When Felipe Caicedo scored his second goal with the Abha Club shirt, the oil country began to feel post-Qatar 2022 World Cup fever and ‘Ronaldomania’.
Before Christmas, on Wednesday, December 21, Felipao scored the goal that opened the path to Abha’s victory with a score of 4-3 against Al-Taawon. The victory sealed the passage of the Ecuadorian team to the quarterfinals of the King’s Cup.
What is the life of Felipe Caicedo? The Panterone starts rubbing the lamp in Saudi Arabia
Showy score for ex-Lazio, Genoa and Inter Milan in Serie A in Italy, removing the mark of Brazilian goalkeeper Mailson and defining almost without an angle with his left foot. The attacker from Guayaquil starts enabled after receiving a long stroke, enters between two rival players and defines with class.
What’s the Panterone up to? In the Professional League of Saudi Arabia (Saudi Pro League) he has played since he signed on August 28. He arrived as a free agent after terminating his contract with Genoa.
His journey in the Saudi championship will begin on September 1 in a match against Al-Shabab for which he has not yet been called up. The former international’s debut for Ecuador took place on the 8th of that month in a commitment with Al-Wehda FC (1-0).
It wasn’t until 11 November that Caicedo made his debut as Abha Club’s goalscorer in a 3-1 away win against Al-Taawon.
Felipao had not been active in Saudi Arabia since October 16. So far in his season with Abha, he has accumulated just over 500 minutes of play in nine appearances (8 for the League and 1 for the King’s Cup). Panterone has two targets.
Abha Club’s next match in the quarterfinals of the King’s Cup will be against the team that has just introduced the Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo. According to the program of the contest, Al-Nassr will host Abha on Sunday, February 12.
King’s Cup is one of the oldest tournaments in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and was first held in 1957.
As stated in a note from arabnewsthe winning team will receive SR10 million ($2.7 million) and qualify for direct participation in the AFC Champions League (Asia), while the runner-up will receive SR5 million.
While Cristiano will be led by the French Rudi Garcia and will be accompanied by foreign players such as the Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina, the Brazilian midfielder Luiz Gustavo and the Cameroonian striker Vincent Aboubakar, the Abha squad is led by the Dutch Roel Coumans and in this one they do not stand out carat names. Outsiders are the Russian Uros Matic, the Cameroonian Devis Epassy, the Moroccan Amine Attouchi, the Iraqi Saad Natiq, the Tunisian Saad Bguir, the Algerian Tayeb Meziani and the Mozanbiqueño Luís Miquissone, in addition to the Ecuadorian Felipe Caicedo.
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Source: Eluniverso
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