In seven and a half years many things have changed in the life of Cristiano Ronaldo and, apparently, will end up playing in a destination where he “has not been seen” in 2015, when he assured that he wanted to finish his career “worthily” in a “top club”.
After confirming that the Portuguese striker has become a new player of Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr on a contract until 2025, this Friday, An interview the star gave to British TV seven years ago has resurfaced.
“I still have six or seven years to go and I want to end my career at the top, with dignity, in a big club”, the attacker said on TV at that moment.
When asked if he would play in a league like the North American, Qatari or some other Arab league, he replied: “…that’s not to say that I think going to the US, Qatar or Dubai isn’t right, but I don’t see myself there”.
Ronaldo, without a club since the end of his contract with Manchester United in late November, has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Al Nassr. “I can’t wait to discover a new football league in a different country” said Cristiano Ronaldo., mentioned on his new club’s Twitter account. Ronaldo posed in his new yellow and blue shirt, emblazoned with his usual number 7.
“Al Nassr’s vision is very inspiring and I am happy to join my teammates so that together we can help the team achieve more success,” said the Portuguese star.
Salary that Cristiano Ronaldo will have is estimated at around 200 million euros ($214 million) and this purchase now puts the spotlight on the Saudi league, a championship unknown to the general public.
“History is being written. This signing will not only inspire our club to achieve even more success, it will also inspire our leagueto our country and to future generations of boys and girls to give their best”, Al Nassr pointed out.
Cristiano Ronaldo, 37 years old, he has a spectacular curriculum, with five Ballon d’Ors, five titles in the European Champions League (2008, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018), Champions of Italy with Juventus (2019, 2020, Spain with Real Madrid (2012, 2017) and England with Manchester United (2007, 2008, 2009).
He is also the top scorer in the Champions League and in the history of the Portuguese team, with which he won the Euro Cup in 2016.
However, Cristiano Ronaldo, the most followed character on social Instagram, is coming out of difficult months, after his stormy farewell from Manchester United, a club where he made himself known among the elite between 2003 and 2009, and when who had returned to the 2021 after moving to Real Madrid (2009-2018) and Juventus (2018-2021).
Since when In the middle of this year, Cristiano Ronaldo, who trained at Sporting Lisbon in his home country, wanted to leave Manchester United and the arrival of Dutch coach Erik Ten Hagwhich limited his playing time, made it worse.
In an interview in November, shortly before the World Cup, he criticized past and present coaches, managers and former teammates, without being self-critical.
Soon after, Manchester United have announced the termination of his contract “by mutual consent”.
During the last World Cup, his playing time was limited and Portugal was eliminated in the quarterfinals of Qatar-2022 by Morocco.
Al Nassr, coached by Frenchman Rudi García since July, has won nine Saudi Arabian champion titles, the last of which in 2019.
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