Cristiano Ronaldo recently went on strike at Al Nasr in protest at the club’s owners after they allowed title rivals Al Hilal to sign Karim Benzema in a controversial transfer.
Cristiano Ronaldo speaks out after the strike (Image: Thmanyah Sports)
Cristiano Ronaldo has responded strongly to speculation surrounding his future, declaring that he “belongs to Saudi Arabia.” Ronaldo, 41, refused to play earlier this month, putting his Al Nasr career in doubt.
The Portugal captain missed two matches in protest against the PIF’s decision to allow reigning champions Al Ittihad to sign Karim Benzema and Al Nasr’s title rivals Al Hilal. All three clubs are controlled by PIF, which pays Ronaldo an eye-watering £488,000 a day.
Ronaldo returned from last weekend’s attack and scored in the away game against Al Fateh, helping his team win 2-0. On Saturday, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner returned to Al Nasr’s home stadium and scored two vital goals.
The 4-0 victory over Al Hazem saw them leapfrog Al Hilal into first place with a one-point difference. After the match, Ronaldo spoke to Tomaniya Sports and reaffirmed his commitment to Saudi Arabia.
Join us on Facebook! For the latest news, analysis and more on our Mirror Football Facebook page
read more: Manchester United star Casemiro in talks to ignore Cristiano Ronaldo’s painful transferread more: Former Man United manager Erik ten Hag reveals what he really said to Cristiano Ronaldo before the infamous altercation
“Yes, I’m very happy,” the forward smiled. “As I have said many times before, I belong to Saudi Arabia, a country that has been very welcoming to me, my family and friends.
“I’m happy here. I want to continue here. And the most important thing is that we keep pushing. We are at the top. Our job is to win and put pressure on (the title rivals) and we’ll see.”
“We’re doing well. We’re back. We’re feeling good. We’re confident. Game by game. We’re feeling good. We’ll see what happens.”
After taking his total goals tally to a staggering 962 with an assist from teammate Kingsley Coman, Ronaldo added: “In my opinion, we created so many chances. We should have scored more, but we won. That’s the most important thing.”
“We didn’t concede a goal again this time. I’m very happy with the result and of course with the goal.”
Please bring back the mirror! Keep the latest headlines at the top of Google Search
After the match, Ronaldo also wore a traditional bisht to celebrate Saudi Arabia’s National Day. It was a reminder that the former Manchester United megastar remains the face of sport in the Middle East.
Earlier this week, Ronaldo’s manager Jorge Jesus backed his captain, claiming Al Hilal have more “economic power” than Al Nasr. “I have already been to al-Hilal,” Jesus explained.
“I have been on the other side, so I know what it is like. I have already benefited from it. They have more economic power. When I was there, I benefited as a coach. That is normal. Al Nasr, who have different resources, have to compete for the top spot. We have to continue to be strong.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
