BY OSABUOHIEN VIVIAN-ROSE
Al Nassr are expecting Cristiano Ronaldo to end his strike and play again for them on Saturday.
Ronaldo,41, has missed his side’s last two Saudi Pro League (SPL) games because he has been unhappy with the way Al Nassr are being run.
After receiving assurances, Ronaldo is expected to return for Saturday’s SPL game at Al Fateh.
Sadio Mane helped Al Nassr to victory over Al Ittihad in Ronaldo’s absence.
Before that game, Al Nassr have an Asian Champions League Two game against Arkadag in Turkmenistan on Wednesday.
The Portugal captain has missed Al Nassr’s last two games after not featuring in Friday’s Saudi Pro League home win over Al Ittihad.
Ronaldo returned to training with his Al Nassr team-mates last week – but was not in the matchday squad named by boss Jorge Jesus.
Officials had previously hoped Ronaldo had made his point by missing Al Nassr’s game against Al Riyadh last Monday and Friday’s game would be too big for him to miss as they urged him to return to the pitch.
They believe Ronaldo’s protest was harming the image of the SPL and the Kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund. The SPL publicly warned the player ahead of Friday’s game.
But Al Nassr won for the second game in a row without Ronaldo, beating Al Ittihad 2-0 thanks to goals scored by Sadio Mane and Angelo Gabriel.
Ronaldo feels his club Al Nassr are not being backed financially as much as their title rivals Al Hilal. Both clubs are majority owned by The Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.
The forward is convinced Al Hilal are getting preferential treatment, and he was particularly angry that they strengthened their squad by bringing in players such as Karim Benzema during the January window.
The SPL believes its league is a fair fight and there is still all to play for this season. The funding provided by the league is clear and fair across all PIF clubs. If Al Nassr were not active in January, it was because they have already spent £100m this season.
The financial regulations and league funding through the Player Acquisition Center of Excellence are designed to maintain integrity, make sure the league and clubs are sustainable and competitive.
Benzema scored a hat-trick on his debut last Thursday as Al Hilal beat Al Akhdoud 6-0.
The Saudi officials are surprised that Ronaldo is unhappy – despite earning a reported £500,000 a day.
He has 18 months left on his contract but it does have a £43m (€50m) summer release clause – even though he turned 41 on Thursday.
While Ronaldo may be the face of the SPL, the league issued a statement last Thursday firing back at the Portuguese star by reaffirming that he has no say on what happens at clubs outside of his own.
“The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: every club operates independently under the same rules,” a league spokesperson said.
“Clubs have their own boards, their own executives and their own football leadership. Decisions on recruitment, spending and strategy sit with those clubs, within a financial framework designed to ensure sustainability and competitive balance. That framework applies equally across the league.
“Cristiano has been fully engaged with Al Nassr since his arrival and has played an important role in the club’s growth and ambition. Like any elite competitor, he wants to win. But no individual – however significant – determines decisions beyond their own club.
“Recent transfer activity demonstrates that independence clearly. One club strengthened in a particular way. Another chose a different approach. Those were club decisions, taken within approved financial parameters.
“The competitiveness of the league speaks for itself. With only a few points separating the top four, the title race is very much alive. That level of balance reflects a system that is working as intended.
