Cristiano Ronaldo made the surprise move to Saudi Arabian team Al Nassr. Photo: EPA
Cape Town - There are several reasons to criticise Cristiano Ronaldo but joining Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr should not be one.
By joining the Saudi club, the Portugal captain becomes the highest paid footballer in history and will earn a reported €200 million.
The move could also potentially bring an end to Ronaldo’s illustrious international career which has seen him scoring a record 118 goals for his country. With former coach Fernando Santos having left the Portugal national team, the new coach may well opt to offload Ronaldo and other senior players within the setup which is normal practice as a team prepares for a new World Cup cycle.
Furthermore, there will also be professional reasons to not hand Ronaldo international call-ups. He will be playing in Saudi which is not considered a “top” league by international standards. Portugal have several players playing in top leagues around Europe and it can be argued that they will be more deserving of international selection over Ronaldo.
One reason that Ronaldo can be subjected to criticism is due to his off the field antics over recent months. His stay at Manchester United was mutually terminated after he gave a controversial interview to British Journalist Piers Morgan where he said he had no respect for United coach Erik Ten Hag. He also reacted angrily after being substituted in Portugal’s World Cup defeat against South Korea which led to him being benched for his nation’s subsequent games in the tournament.
Ronaldo remains good enough to play in top leagues across Europe, albeit now without being the focal point of the teams. His conduct is likely to be a major reason why no so-called big clubs showed heavy interest in him following his parting of ways with United.
However, despite this, at almost 38, Ronaldo is probably doing the right thing by moving out of Europe. He has nothing left to prove in club football, having won virtually everything there is to win at club level. Given his declining performances at club and international level, in recent times, Ronaldo arguably also could help retain his legacy by moving to Saudi. In a less physically demanding environment, fans will get to witness his skills of old times.
Those who criticize him for moving to Saudi also indirectly confirm that they hold Ronaldo to a different standard as compared to other players. Ronaldo moves to the Middle Eastern country at almost 38, a time during which the vast majority of footballers his age are retired. Bar goalkeepers, the majority of footballers Ronaldo’s age that still play will also be playing in so-called less competitive leagues.
English football legend David Beckham moved to the United States at the age of 32, Ronaldinho moved to Mexico at the age of 34 and Zinedine Zidane retired at the age of 34.
These players were not held to the same scrutiny as Ronaldo when they ended their playing careers at elite levels at younger ages.
@EshlinV