Star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo was officially presented by Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr on January 3. The celebrated footballer who sent shockwaves amongst his fans after announcing a final exit from his boyhood club Manchester United amid the FIFA World Cup 2022, said he turned down several offers from Europe and North America before signing on with Al Nassr.
The former Manchester United forward even unveiled his jersey a few days ago. Following the unveiling of his jersey, fans jostled to get themselves one. Ronaldo has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract to play in the Saudi Pro League. According to an ESPN report, the celebrated footballer will receive USD 75 million per year which in turn makes him the highest-paid player in history.
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While all went well and Ronaldo got a rousing welcome from the Al Nassr FC, there was an embarrassing moment. The footballer suffered from a slip-of-tongue and mixed up the name of the continent for which he was playing. ‘The evolution of football is different. For me it is not the end of my career coming to South Africa,’ he said. Fans and people across the globe were quick to notice the error and the video went viral.
For the unversed, CBS Sports had earlier reported on Ronaldo joining the Saudi Arabian club much before it was announced by the footballer. It had said Ronaldo, a free agent now, has already been presented with a handsome offer by a Saudi Arabian club, Al Nassr, with an impressive track record.
The report said that Ronaldo has received a three-year deal with the club and the offer currently on table is USD 225 million Rs 1,838 crores approximately) which means that the 37-year-old footballer will take home USD 75 million (Rs 612 crores approx) annually and play the game well into his 40s, which itself is an admirable feat.
Ronaldo’s great form continued on the field as he set another international record in the opening match for Portugal against Ghana. He is focusing on winning the World Cup for his home country undoubtedly.
More about Cristiano Ronaldo, Al Nassr and Manchester United
Al Nassr’s interest in Ronaldo
According to CBS, Al Nassr has shown a strong interest in Ronaldo and has been in talks with the player since summer. Ronaldo’s representatives are communicating with the club but the final decision remains with him. In all probability, a definite action in this regard will be taken after the FIFA World Cup 2022 ends.
Al Nassr is touted to be one of Asia’s most successful clubs after bagging nine league titles and making it to the finals of the AFC Champions League (1995).
Ronaldo and Manchester United: What went wrong?
The feud between the star footballer and his club was public, as Ronaldo was not getting along with the club’s higher-ups evidently since 2021. He came out in open about this in an interview and slammed the current manager of the club, Erik ten Hag. He also said that he has no respect for Hag and he was being forced out of the club.
He even revealed that he was close to joining the rival club, Manchester City in the summer of 2021. CBS reports that the reason he stuck around with Manchester United was that he wanted a Champions League platform which none other clubs could give him.
Hero and featured image: Courtesy Cristiano Ronaldo/Twitter
After completing her PG in New Media from the Asian College of Journalism, Preeti has worked in a daily and a magazine before finding her calling in digital journalism. A lover of single malts and an avid pop culture junkie, you can catch her at the movies on weekends or binge-watching the latest shows on OTT when she is not busy preparing her toddler for his Hogwarts letter.
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