a A new chapter has been added to Al Nasr’s controversial history. Even after Cristiano Ronaldo was absent from the match against Al Riyadh, opinions on this issue continued.
The Portuguese explained that his decision was to protest against the Public Investment Fund (PIF) following Karim Benzema’s transfer from Al Ittihad to Al Hilal, but the Frenchman’s new team’s CEO explained his position.
Cristiano receives response from Al Hilal Executive Director
According to the website, the Portuguese player does not agree with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund’s recruitment policy, as it appears to disadvantage his team and favor others. “Cristiano believes that the PIF is interfering with Al Nasr’s contract in order to prevent the team from winning the title,” the Record reports.
However, the controversy took on added significance with the comments of Al Hilal CEO Esteve Calzada. In a conversation with Cadena SER, he explained that only CR7 knows the reason for his actions and his reaction to signing his former Real Madrid teammate.
“You’ll have to ask him what’s wrong,” Calzada began. “Al Hilal is the most powerful club in Saudi Arabia. We have three sources of funding when it comes to signings: merchandising, government programs to sign great players and we have a prince who supports the club to acquire good resources.”
He took the opportunity to shed light on how the association operates when signing players, as well as vouching for Al Nasr’s success in the past summer transfer window with the likes of Joan Flix and Kingsley Coman.
Furthermore, the CEO asserted that adding a star player like Karim Benzema to the squad not only showcases his talent, but also serves as a source of inspiration for his younger team-mates.
“We have made strong commitments to many players besides Karim, many young Arab talents. We are looking forward to fighting for all the titles,” he confessed.
Historically, Benzema has been Cristiano’s main partner at Real Madrid, providing 47 assists during his time there. Currently, the two sides go head-to-head in the Saudi League without any issues, but Karim’s recent signing with Al Hilal meant that CR7’s biggest rivals strengthened their squad with elite stars.
Meanwhile, the club has not yet decided whether to impose a sanction on the Portuguese player for his absence from the game against Al Riyadh, as it was not due to injury or a technical decision, but rather a personal protest.
CR7 remains the team’s top scorer with 17 goals this season, but his immediate future is uncertain, with his presence in the crucial match against Al Ittihad on February 6 still up in the air.
