Cristiano Ronaldo I just made it official as a new player Al Nasser. But apparently Rudy Garcia as the club manager had mentioned other names before the arrival of the Portuguese veteran: Lionel Messi.
Al Nassr was the only serious suitor after Ronaldo left Manchester United last November, and who was willing to pay the 37-year-old striker’s wages. Since the 2022 World Cup, discussions have been underway to recruit him.
Garcia, who has coached Al Nassr since June 2022, was asked for his opinion on the possibility of coaching Ronaldo after the tournament in Qatar. What is the response of the man from France?
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Currently Messi is still playing for Paris Saint-Germain. Photo: Getty Images/Jonathan Moscrop
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“I tried to bring Messi directly from Doha,” he joked at the time, quoted by TyC Sports.
Garcia’s words were indeed in the context of a joke. Furthermore, Messi would never be involved in discussions with Al Nassr, considering that he is still under contract with Paris Saint-Germain until June 2023, with an option for a one-year renewal.
At present, Messi is yet to appear for PSG as he has been granted a longer holiday after guiding Argentina to victory in the 2022 World Cup. Meanwhile, Ronaldo will be unveiled as a new Al Nassr player on 5 January 2023.
Ronaldo was hired for 2.5 seasons by Al Nassr, with a salary of up to $200 million a year. However, according to the report by journalist Fabrizio Romano, his football-related salary is only 90 million, the rest is related to commercial matters.
(adp/then)
