- Rudi Garcia hopes that Cristiano Ronaldo will find the pleasure of playing with all his heart
- Garcia said his wish is to see Ronaldo happy while playing for the Saudi team
- He cited that the last year was incredibly hard for Ronaldo
Al-Nassr head coach Rudi Garcia hopes that Cristiano Ronaldo will find the pleasure of playing with all his heart in the Saudi Arabian pro league.
Speaking on the sidelines of Dakar Rally currently going down in Saudi, Garcia said his wish is to see Ronaldo happy while playing for the Saudi team.
He cited that the last year was incredibly hard for Ronaldo because he had a long-running tiff with his former club Manchester United and his national team as well during the FIFA 2022 World Cup.
Given such history, he wants Ronaldo to take time and immerse himself in the goodness of playing football.
“The only thing I wish for Ronaldo is that he rediscovers the pleasure of playing and smiles again because in recent months between Manchester United, the national team and then at a personal level he hasn’t had easy moments,” reports This Day Live.
Ronaldo, a five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, signed a contract with the Saudi club through 2025 in a deal for reportedly €200 million.
Cristiano Ronaldo with Al-Nassr’s coach Rudi Garcia. Photo by The Nation View
The former star of Juventus and Real Madrid, whose contract with Manchester United was terminated following a contentious disagreement, will play his final days of international football here.
Ronaldo’s presence at Al-Nassr, a 1955-founded club, rekindled allegations that Saudi Arabia was once more engaging in “sports washing,” a term used to divert attention from the country’s human rights record.
Now a week since his signing, the club’s Instagram following rose from 500K followers to 11 million followers. Ronaldo completed is medical prior to the unveiling on Tuesday. The Portuguese star uploaded a snapshot to his Instagram account with the message, “Medical done!”
The deal, which runs until 2025, made Ronaldo the highest-paid player in football. Before agreeing to the lucrative contract, the superstar said he had “several opportunities” to sign with teams in Europe and South America.
Al-Nassr broadcasted a video of Ronaldo’s arrival with his family after he landed on Monday night.
All of the young players donned the No. 7 jersey, which Ronaldo, 37, has come to identify with over the years. As he posed for photos with the kids, Ronaldo unmistakably gave the impression that he was enjoying the greetings.
Reports have it that 3 billion people watched his unveiling by Al-Nassr, a figure that surpassed the 1 billion people who watched France vs Argentina World Cup finals in Qatar in December 2022.
Cristiano Ronaldo. Photo by Al-Nassr/IG
The Saudi deal is worth over $200 million and is the most lucrative of all time. He will be earning $90 million annually from the club. This follows his early exit with Manchester United, where many anticipated that he would stay through the end of the current campaign. However, Old Trafford and Ronaldo mutually agreed to sever ties in November 2022.
Ronaldo’s hard-hitting interview with British journalist Piers Morgan was the impetus for the choice. During the interview, he criticised the Red Devils and their manager Erik ten Hag, triggering uproar and action by the club.
He boldly said that ten Hag didn’t respect him, and there was no way he could respect someone who couldn’t respect him in return. Ronaldo spoke of how he felt unwanted at Old Trafford, adding that all he wanted was the best for his childhood club.
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