The signing of Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo by Al Nassr “could have a positive impact” on the local players’ approach to football, says manager Mariano Barreto, who led the Saudi League club in 2005.
“Despite the fact that they like football, they do not dedicate themselves to training like young Europeans, nor do they see it as a professional activity, but rather as a form of entertainment. The departure of Cristiano Ronaldo can be a way of showing that with work, commitment and talent, it is possible to reach some level. It is clear that nobody is thinking that Ronaldos is going to be born in Saudi Arabia”, analyzed the coach to the Portuguese agency.
The 37-year-old captain of the team will face an unprecedented tour of the Middle East almost a month and a half after leaving Manchester United, to which he had returned in August 2021, after an initial stage (2003-2009).
“Before winning his first Ballon d’Or and after winning his fifth, there is one thing that is unanimous: he is the first and the last to come out of the dressing room, with impeccable and faultless professional behavior that left a mark on his teammates. Obviously, this will have a great impact on Al Nassr and reflections on the other players, who will have the first person image of the player that everyone idolized and applauded, ”he noted.
According to the press, Cristiano Ronaldo is preparing to climb to the top of the list of the highest paid athletes in the world, earning approximately 200 million euros (ME) annually until June 2025, in addition to a signing bonus of 100 million euros. euro.
“Of course, your trip to Saudi Arabia will not leave all the citizens of the kingdom indifferent. I spoke with a senior manager of the club, who was there on my trip there and told me that they are waiting for the impact, because not even they themselves are aware of the dimension that this arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo will have”, testified Mariano Barreto.
The second of the five Portuguese coaches in the history of Al Nassr says that the link between the royal family of Salman bin Abdulaziz and the club “will have been decisive or used as a banner for the development of football in the country” during the negotiations with ‘CR7 ‘ .
“I think that the impact was one of the reasons that the authorities considered for a figure like him to come to Saudi Arabia because of the numbers it represents. They come to train all the time or stick to the schedule, ”he points out.
Appreciated as “the best player in the world” in the second most populous nation in the Persian Gulf, Cristiano Ronaldo left behind two decades “in the limelight of European football”, when “he got the whole world used to being a figure only comparable” with the Argentine Lionel Messi.
“For the last 20 years, Ronaldo was always discussing with him who was the best in the world. Opinions were divided, but it was normal for him. What is also normal for athletes of this level is that they more or less end up realizing it. that his time is coming to an end. I think that Cristiano Ronaldo fought a lot so that this moment would not have arrived. Unfortunately, these last six or seven months have been very difficult for him and there have been decisions that have not gone in the direction of what he expected, ”he evaluated.
Mariano Barreto says that the five-time Ballon d’Or “felt that he would be well accepted” in Saudi Arabia, without looking “only at the millions that amaze”, at a time when “the club that he believed was essential to maintain in Europe”.
“I hope he manages to dazzle in those parts as he did in those European stages. He has a fundamental need to be happy in what he does, but if he doesn’t, it’s unlikely he’s going to see the end of his contract. I think he will find that happiness because, at first glance, it seems that this is what the Saudis are willing to give him,” he said.
The Madeiran arrived in Riyadh on Monday and will perform at 7:00 p.m. today (4:00 p.m. in Lisbon), at Mrsool Park, with 25,000 seats, under the slogan ‘Hala Ronaldo’, reversing the income added from the sale of tickets to A charity.
“In those fantastic stadiums and the best there are usually 100 or 200 people full as long as it is new and can show that it can still excite and amaze the fans who come to see it play,” he said.
Coached by the Frenchman Rudi García, Al Nassr, made up of Majed Alammari (ex Anadia), the Ivorian Ghislain Konan (ex Vitória de Guimarães), the Brazilian Anderson Talisca (ex Benfica) and the Cameroonian Vincent Aboubakar (ex FC Porto) leads the Saudi League after 11 games, with 26 points, one above Al Shabab, who has one game less.
“The championship has witnessed the passage of renowned players, who are already in a downward phase of their careers, mainly due to their age. It is difficult to see young people being hired at the beginning of their career and with great potential, regardless of their value”, illustrated Mariano Barreto, who also guided Al-Qadisiyah, from 2011 to 2013.
The limit of foreigners per club has grown to eight in a season in which Al Nassr seeks the 10th scepter to break the hegemony of the other “national dimension” rival, the current three-time Saudi champion and continental champion Al-Hilal, who holds the same success records in the local championship (18) and in the Asian Champions League (four).
Source: TSF
