Saudi football executives are now hoping Cristiano Ronaldo will end his strike and feature in Friday’s game against Al Ittihad.
Ronaldo is considering his future in Saudi Arabia due to concerns over the financial support Al Nasr receives compared to other clubs.
His return to action has yet to be confirmed, but officials are hopeful he has gotten his point across and Friday’s game will be too big for him to miss. He is contractually obligated to play unless injured.
Officials are surprised he is unhappy despite reportedly earning £500,000 a day and hope to play against Al Ittihad on Friday.
He has 18 months left on his contract but has a £43m (€50m) summer release clause, despite turning 41 on Thursday.
Al Nasr could move to the top of the SPL on Friday.
Saudi officials believe Ronaldo is still in Riyadh despite reports that he has flown to Portugal.
Al Nasr’s official X account posted photos of his teammates and coach Jorge Jesus on Wednesday, but so far no images of Ronaldo have been posted since Sunday.
Ronaldo missed the team’s Saudi Pro League win against Al Riyadh on Monday, and Sky Sports News reported that Ronaldo was unhappy with the club’s management.
The 40-year-old believes Al Nasr do not receive the same financial support as the other three clubs owned by Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF, Al Hilal, Al Ahly and Al Ittihad.
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Highlights of the match between Al Riyadh and Al Nasr in the Saudi Pro League.
Ronaldo is angry that Al Hilal acquired Karim Benzema from Al Ittihad, but young Iraqi midfielder Haider Abdulkareem was the only addition to Al Nasr’s squad in the January window.
Al Hilal lead Al Nasr by one point at the top of the Saudi Pro League and Ronaldo wanted the club to be more ambitious during the period as they hope to win the Saudi title for the first time.
He feels the PIF is giving preferential treatment to other clubs, but football in Saudi Arabia has opened up and clubs are now being bought out by investors.
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Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solhekor talks about why Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to have gone on strike against Al Nasr, despite not being included in the matchday squad against Al Riyadh on Monday.
Benzema’s move to Al Hilal was not funded by the league or the PIF, but by Saudi billionaire private investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. There is nothing stopping Al Nasr from signing more players with the support of private investors.
From Saudi Arabia’s point of view, Ronaldo maintains full support and nothing has changed.
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Cristiano Ronaldo scores a goal for Al Nasr in the Saudi Pro League match in Al Khorod.
It is surprising that he is so dissatisfied as he has been involved with the club at every level with his team and has experienced all the transfer and investment opportunities.
SPL believes their league is a fair fight and there is still everything left in this season. The funding provided by the league is clear and fair across all PIF clubs.
If Al Nasr were inactive in January, it’s because they have already spent £100m this season.
Financial regulations and league funding through the Player Acquisition Center of Excellence are designed to maintain integrity and ensure leagues and clubs are sustainable and competitive.
