Al-Nassr are yet to confirm the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo. Technical director Marcelo Salazar expects clarity about the future of the 37-year-old world star in the short term.
According to international media, Ronaldo is about to sign a lucrative contract for Al-Nassr, but the confirmation from the Saudi Arabian club has not yet been confirmed. Salazar, who has been in charge of the nine-time champion’s sporting project since last year, cannot yet clarify the arrival of the transfer-free Portuguese after his departure from Manchester United.
Technical director Marcelo Salazar’s hope
“It’s not for me to say yes or no,” Salazar, a former Portuguese futsal player, told FlashScore. “Let’s see how things unfold until the end of the year. You have to realize that these are negotiations of a huge magnitude, not only for the club but also for the country and global football. They must be conducted by higher authorities.”
“What I can say is that Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best footballers of all time,” continues Salazar. Who until last year was the assistant of Brazilian coach Mano Menezes at Al-Nassr. “He has always been an example to me as an athlete because of the will to win that he shows. And as a Portuguese, I always cheered for him. His future will be revealed when the time is right.”
With Rudi García, ex-trainer of clubs such as Lille, AS Roma and Olympique Marseille, at the helm, Al-Nassr wants to win the first national title since 2019. Since then, rival Al-Hilal became champion three times in a row and Al-Nassr changed coaches frequently in two years. In addition to Menezes, the Croatian Alen Horvat, the Portuguese Pedro Emanuel and the Argentinian Miguel Ángel Russo also played for the group.
Salazar, who also acted as interim coach twice during that period, the Saudi Pro League is of a respectable level. According to him, “I’ve been working here for five years now. And all the players I’ve spoken to have been positively surprised by the level of the competition. Luiz Gustavo, for example, or David Ospina. Life in Riyadh with their families has also positively surprised the players. And the sporting level is also high.”
