Cristiano Ronaldo has apparently gone on strike at Al-Nassr amid an extraordinary row over the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s operation of the club.
Ronaldo was absent from the club’s Saudi Pro League match against Al-Riyadh on Monday despite not being injured or suspended, abandoning his teammates in the midst of a tense title race at the top of the table.
His reasoning for this latest tantrum relates to Al-Nassr’s transfer activity in the winter window, with the Portugal captain taking issue with supposed preferential treatment towards his club’s PIF-owned rivals.
Al-Nassr are one of four Saudi Pro League clubs owned by the Saudi state, joined by Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad in the PIF’s portfolio. Al-Hilal currently top the league by one point, with Al-Nassr in second.
Al-Hilal, who won the league title in Ronaldo’s first full season in Saudi Arabia, have enjoyed a productive transfer window and added the blockbuster signing of Al-Ittihad’s Karim Benzema to their list of January recruits, which includes former Arsenal defender Pablo Mari and Rennes’ teenage star Mohamed Kader Meite, who cost them £26m.
Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, meanwhile, have only signed 21-year-old Iraqi centre-back Hayer Abdulkareem, a lack of activity which has seemingly drawn the ire of the 40-year-old talisman.
Al-Nassr CEO Jose Semedo declined to comment, according to Saudi media.
Ronaldo signed a two-year contract extension with Al-Nassr last June, reportedly worth in the region of £500,000 per day as the striker remained the poster-boy of the Saudi football project.
However, this latest development has thrown his future up in the air.
Ronaldo remains intent on playing football as he chases down the elusive 1,000-goal barrier, which he is 39 strikes away from hitting - but with the player not getting any younger, he may seek to move away from Al-Nassr if this rift is not resolved imminently.
“My passion is high and I want to continue. It doesn't matter where I play, whether in the Middle East or Europe,” Ronaldo said, speaking at an awards ceremony in Dubai in December.
“I always enjoy playing football and I want to keep going. I will reach the number (1000 goals) for sure, if no injuries.”
Ronaldo is also set to play at the World Cup this year with Portugal after Fifa granted him a controversial reprieve relating following his red card against Ireland.
The striker looked set to miss two of the Portugal’s three group games after being sent off for violent conduct in Dublin, which would usually incur a three-match ban.
However, Fifa decided to suspend the final two matches of his suspension for good behaviour, as long as Ronaldo doesn’t commit “another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probation period”.
Al-Nassr will be more concerned with getting Ronaldo back in action as soon as possible, with the Portuguese forward boasting 17 goals in 18 league games this term.
Al-Nassr’s next outing is also a mammoth one, facing Al-Ittihad - one of the club’s Ronaldo supposedly feels is getting preferential treatment - on Friday 6 February.
