Greedy Cristiano Ronaldo signs for Saudi club Al Nassr as he runs out of options in Europe
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Cristiano Ronaldo - IMAGO/Sven Simon
Cristiano Ronaldo fell for the lure of the lucre as it became officially clear he will be joining Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr for a two-year deal. From the highs of being a superstar for Portugal, though he never won a World Cup for his nation, to settling for club football in the deserts of Saudia is shocking. In football analogy, it’s a massive nosedive for Ronaldo, better known as CR7.
From the time he parted ways with Manchester United and showed the middle finger to the Old Trafford club, there has been intense speculation about which way the 37-year-old’s career was headed. He had two no-holds-barred interviews with Piers Morgan Uncensored, bang before the World Cup. Fans thought Ronaldo’s tears were real. No, now they look like crocodile tears and those who wasted emotions on him realize he was faking it.
Truth to tell, all talk of his personal upheavals in life, losing child Angel, and more are all OK. Reality is when he dared to expose Erik Ten Hag, he probably had gone overboard. A boss is a boss and Ronaldo lambasted the English club which saw brickbats being hurled at him by the English media day in and day out. Bang before the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Ronaldo had made the right noises in the interviews with Morgan.
When he flew into Qatar, high on hope and hype like a Helium gas balloon, Ronaldo was the cynosure. Sadly, once the World Cup kicked off, Ronaldo was flat, like stale beer. The aura of CR7 was blown to smithereens as he could not perform. Imagine, the Portugal captain faced the humiliation of being benched by Portugal manager Fernando Santos. Very soon, Santos dropped him as well.
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Cristiano Ronaldo will get a big, fat salary plus billions of dollars in commercial endorsements
There was an uproar, then a furor, as Ronaldo wanted the world to believe he was being victimised. No, the downfall had begun. The cookie had started to crumble at Old Trafford and by the time he got into Qatar, Ronaldo was finished. His effervescent form vanished. His movement looked labored, and he was a liability for Portugal. Talks of club transfer began, but there was no taker for Ronald. Fans prayed he would land a club in Europe, but nothing worked.
The smart CR7 and his personal managers had started dealing with the cash-rich Saudi club. Time and again, Ronaldo had the services of Piers Morgan to deny the story. Now, it’s clear, both Ronaldo and dear Morgan were faking it. The more denials came, the more emphatic it became Brand Ronaldo as a player who had won the Ballon d’Or five times was dropping.
His assets and market value ad financial deals were being kept intact but the Brand Ronaldo on the football pitch had crashed like a bad chip in the market.
Just to jog the readers’ memory, ideally, Ronaldo should have retired, rather than gone to Saudi Arabia. As it were, Saudi money is under the scanner for the wrong reasons as they have funded the LIV Golf, which has caused a massive upheaval between the players and the PGA.
Saudi money for Ronaldo means they can buy anything, anyone. Ronaldo has lost respect, very different from the guy who said a few years ago he will retire from a good club. He also said he will not go to the USA or the Gulf. His latest deal shows he craves for the megabucks, even though he knows he is past prime. No doubt, Sheikhs in Saudia will cheer for him, as he has been reduced now to a caricature.
When David Beckham quit football in England and went to the United States of America, he faced copious flak. Beckham still managed to fight it out. No, Ronaldo is no longer the champion footballer the world knew him to be. His aura has gone, he is now a commercial footballer, greedy for money. If he saw the writing on the wall that no club in Europe wanted him, he should have retired. That would have made him a bigger superstar.
Sadly, moving to play Saudi football at a whopping salary of $75 million per year is obscene. It shows he is craving money, not being part of a good club where he can get respect. Add to it his endorsement deals, and the striker, now a spent force, will rake in commercial deals worth $200 million every year. Wow, he is now like the rich Sheikhs who can show off their wealth. The world of football has lost respect for CR7. Be sure, he will milk the Saudis even further as he has become smart.
Three weeks ago it was learnt he was undergoing medical tests at the Saudi Club Al Nassr. Ronaldo kept denying it. Wonder, how he is going to hide his face now. From Portugal to Saudi Arabia, what a massive downfall. That’s Cristiano Ronaldo for you!
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