Cristiano Ronaldo will return to Europe – Al Nassr manager

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By Martin Graham | 30th Jan 2023

Rudi Garcia, manager of Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr, has claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo will return to Europe where he is destined to end his football career.

The 37-year-old Portugal superstar signed a two-and-a-half year deal with the Saudi Arabian team in late December 2022 after an unceremonious exit from Manchester United, who he returned to in 2021 after 12 years away from the club.

The move is the biggest in all of football, as it will see Ronaldo earn over $200 million yearly in royalties, advertising revenue and wages in the time he will spend at the club. However, it is a move that was unprecedented as no one expected the spotlight-hungry Ronaldo to move to an obscure part of the football world to showcase his talents.

He has been entrusted with the mantle of leadership from the jump but jas failed to hit the ground running in the league despite scoring two goals and winning the man of the match award in his official debut, which was in a charity game against Paris Saint-Germain.

Garcia, who left Europe to take over the Saudi Pro League side, praised Ronaldo’s addition to Al Nassr as good for the club and the league. He also opined that Ronaldo’s Al Nassr teammates place him in difficult situations which has not allowed him to perform to his best as they are always looking to pass him the ball.

Speaking in his most recent press conference, the former Lille, Marseille and Roma boss said: “Cristiano Ronaldo is a positive addition, as he helps to disperse defenders.

“He is one of the best players in the world. He will not finish his career at Al Nassr, he will return to Europe.

“Cristiano Ronaldo missed a chance on goal [against Al Ittihad in the Saudi Super Cup] that would have turned the game around in the first half,” he said. “But I congratulate Al Ittihad.

“They were much better than us until the break. So we reacted but we could no longer turn around. We lost the Super Cup but we are still first in the championship.

“It is very important that the players play normally and don’t always try to give Cristiano the ball.

“I told them they had to make the right decisions on the field. Obviously, when Cristiano or Talisca are alone and ask for the ball, we have to give them the ball.

“These two players are capable of making a difference. I think sometimes we had good crossing positions, but there were not enough people in the box, sometimes not Ronaldo or Talisca.

“We have to work on it, have one of them in the area and maybe the other will play outside the area.”