As Cristiano Ronaldo said on the day of his unveiling in Saudi Arabia, he had “won everything” in Europe and it was time to conquer newer territory and fill his cabinet with more trophies.
His exit from Premier League giants Manchester United was unceremonious and peppered with disappointment. While many thought the 37-year-old had reached the end of his glorious career, the Portuguese international assured his fans that his was far from done. But having plied his trade in the top leagues across Europe, Ronaldo faces a very different set of challenges as he treads into the football world of Saudi Arabia.
Though a fat pay cheque from his new club – Al Nassr is a big bonus, will it be a walk in the park for one of the greatest to have ever graced the sport? Have showed off his skills at Old Trafford and Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner will head towards much smaller stadiums, missing the electric atmosphere of the Spanish League or the much-desired English Premier League.
Not only will he miss out on the huge stadiums and the electric atmosphere and challenge of European football, but Ronaldo will also face tougher temperatures in Saudi Arabia and that is something that may affect his transition into playing football in the Middle East. Though Saudi Arabia is big in the Asian football scene and has in recent times made it to the World Cup, Ronaldo’s presence in the league will boost football in the country. But it’ll be a wait and watch to see whether one of the greats of the game seamlessly fit into his new ‘challenge’.
Ronaldo will make his much-awaited debut in the Saudi Pro League on Sunday (Jan 22), when his new club Al Nassr takes on Ettifaq at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh.
Currently, heading into the match, Ronaldo’s new team Al-Nassr sits on top of the table with nine wins from thirteen matches. Meanwhile, Ettifaq is placed tenth on the table with just four wins from thirteen games. The match will get underway at 11:00pm IST.
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