Ronaldo ends disappointing debut season in Saudi empty-handed | Football News – Times of India

In a high-profile transfer, Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia secured the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, in January. Despite Ronaldo’s impressive goal-scoring record, the team finished the season without any silverware.
Ronaldo’s hopes of lifting a trophy came to an end when Al-Ittihad clinched the league title with one match remaining. This marked Al-Ittihad’s first league triumph since 2009, dashing Ronaldo’s aspirations of immediate success with Al-Nassr.
The Portuguese forward departed Manchester United the previous year following a controversial television interview, expressing feelings of betrayal and a lack of respect for then-manager Erik ten Hag. Al-Nassr capitalised on the opportunity and signed Ronaldo until 2025 in a deal reportedly worth over 200 million euros ($214.61 million), making him the world’s highest-paid athlete according to Forbes.
Throughout his tenure, Ronaldo scored an impressive 14 goals in 16 league games. However, he failed to find the net during a crucial 1-1 draw against Al-Ettifaq, a match in which he was substituted.

Ronaldo’s performances in several key games were underwhelming, often resulting in frustration, which occasionally manifested in his interactions with teammates. The first missed opportunity for a trophy came in the Saudi Super Cup, where Al-Nassr suffered a 3-1 defeat to Al-Ittihad in the semi-finals in January.
Reflecting on his adaptation to the team, Ronaldo acknowledged the challenges of settling in during the initial games, highlighting the need for understanding among teammates. He expressed confidence in reaching higher levels of performance gradually.
“It is not easy to adapt in the first five, six or seven games. Everyone knows my movements now and I am beginning to understand the movements of the rest of the players. Step by step we can reach higher levels,” Ronaldo said.
Al-Nassr’s title hopes took a significant blow on March 9 when they suffered a 1-0 loss to Al-Ittihad, with Brazilian forward Romarinho scoring the decisive goal, overshadowing Ronaldo’s presence.

Further setbacks followed, as Al-Nassr drew with Al-Fayha and subsequently sacked coach Rudi Garcia amidst reports of disagreements with players. This upheaval adversely affected the team’s chances of clinching the title, which they had last won in 2019.
Al-Nassr’s struggles continued with a 2-0 defeat against arch-rivals Al-Hilal, followed by a surprising 1-0 loss to lowly Al-Wehda in the King’s Cup semi-finals.
It is important to note that while Ronaldo’s performances did not live up to expectations, the team’s shortcomings cannot be solely attributed to him. However, his presence seemed to have an impact on Anderson Talisca, a teammate who experienced a dip in form. Talisca had previously scored 11 goals in 11 games before Ronaldo’s arrival, but managed only seven goals in 11 matches alongside him.
(With inputs from Reuters)