Cristiano Ronaldo has opened up about his future in Saudi Arabia after his recent boycott against PIF. He said that he wants to continue in the country, adding that he is happy there.
Cristiano Ronaldo had a rift with Saudi Arabia’s PIF (Public Investment Fund) during the winter transfer window. It came due to Karim Benzema’s move from Al-Ittihad to Al-Hilal. The Al-Nassr superstar reportedly felt that such a move could compromise the competitive nature of the Saudi Pro League.
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The veteran forward missed two games for Al-Nassr due to this. He has since played two games and scored three goals. He scored a brace in their 4-0 win over Al Hazem on Saturday and said after the game (h/t Fabrizio Romano):
“I belong to Saudi Arabia. I want to CONTINUE here. It’s a country that welcomed me, as well as my family and friends. I’m happy here and want to continue here.”
Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring against Al Hazem in the 13th minute before Kingsley Coman doubled their lead in the 30th minute. Angelo Gabriel made it 3-0 in the 77th minute before Ronaldo completed his brace two minutes later.
Al-Nassr head coach Jorge Jesus on Cristiano Ronaldo’s reported protest against PIF
Al-Nassr boss Jorge Jesus previously managed Al-Hilal and won five trophies with them. Earlier this month, he said his former side had more financial power than the other Saudi Pro League sides. Opening up about Cristiano Ronaldo’s protest, he admitted that he benefited while he was at Al-Hilal and spoke about Al-Nassr’s resources.
“I’ve already been at Al Hilal. I’ve been on the other side, so I know what that’s like. I’ve already benefited from it. They have more economic power. When I was there, I benefited as a coach. It’s normal. Al-Nassr, with different resources, has to compete for the top spots. We have to continue to be strong. That’s why I was hired, to reduce the gap between Al Hilal and Al-Nassr, in terms of titles and points.”
“And that’s what we’re doing. We have a lot of confidence in Al-Nassr’s structure, a structure that, little by little, is increasingly managing to balance the group. But not only the group of players who play, but also a group off the field, a team that is aware of the difficulties, a team that knows it will be fighting against opponents with greater economic power, not sporting power,” he added.
Jesus expressed confidence in his side’s ability to compete for the league title this season. Cristiano Ronaldo & Co. sit atop the standings, one point above Al-Hilal.
Edited by Aditya Singh