Why did Cristiano Ronaldo join Al Nassr?
The build-up to this move essentially started in the summer of 2022 when it was made clear by Ronaldo and his then-agent Jorge Mendes that he wanted to leave Manchester United immediately in search of Champions League football.
Teams such as Chelsea and Bayern Munich were heavily linked, but a move never materialised and Erik ten Hag was tasked with reintegrating Ronaldo into the squad. Needless to say, he did not go straight to the top of the pecking order and a rift began to form between him and the coach.
That all came to a head when he sat down to be interviewed by Piers Morgan. Ronaldo admitted that he does not respect Ten Hag and he criticised a number of features of the club and highlighted the lack of development under the Glazer ownership in the time he spent at Real Madrid and Juventus.
He did not play for United again after that and during the 2022 Qatar World Cup, his contract was terminated by mutual consent and his second spell at the club came to an end.
He still harboured serious hopes of joining a Champions League club but has now decided to accept a contract with Al Nassr that will make him the highest-paid player on the planet.
How to watch Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League in the UK?
Unfortunately for those in the United Kingdom that want to continue watching Ronaldo play, there is no live coverage of the Saudi Pro League shown. The league has no streaming deal with any network in the UK so they cannot be legally broadcast.
If Al Nassr were to qualify for the AFC Champions League next season, fans in the UK could watch him play in that competition live on OneFootball. Highlights can also be found on Eurosport for the AFC Champions League.
Fans will be able to watch highlights of the games that Ronaldo features in though if they go to Al Nassr’s official YouTube channel.
When will Cristiano Ronaldo debut for Al Nassr?
Unfortunately for those who already have a ticket to Al Nassr’s next game, Ronaldo is now serving a two-match ban that has been carried over from the Premier League. He was given the ban and a fine for smashing a phone out of an Everton fan’s hand after a game at Goodison Park.
The incident occurred in April but the punishment was handed out in November when Ronaldo had already gone to the World Cup and left United. Therefore, it carries over to the Saudi Pro League. It means Ronaldo will miss Thursday’s meeting with Al Tai and Saturday’s visit to title rivals Al Shabab, but he will be free to line up for his new side on January 21 against Ettifaq.
Source: 90min.com
