Cristiano Ronaldo missed Al-Nassr’s training session on Tuesday, continuing his protest against the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s (PIF) policies in the recent winter transfer window.
Ronaldo also opted not to participate in the previous Riyadh match, objecting to the PIF’s failure to make the desired signings, while providing significant support to Al-Hilal, most recently with the acquisition of Karim Benzema.
According to the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Ronaldo was expected to attend the training session for players excluded from the Riyadh match on Tuesday morning. However, he again chose to be absent, wanting to send a clear message to Saudi football officials regarding the lack of fair competition.
Sky Sports reported that senior officials intervened and spoke with Ronaldo in recent hours to persuade him to end his boycott of matches and return to play for Al-Nassr.
During the discussions, Ronaldo was clearly informed that Al-Hilal’s signings were not funded by the fund, but rather by Al-Waleed bin Talal, who will fully acquire the club next June.
Officials hope that Ronaldo will calm down and cease his outburst, especially given the reports in the Portuguese newspaper Record that he is considering leaving for €50 million (the value of the release clause in his contract with Al-Nassr) next summer.
Al-Nassr is preparing for an important match next Friday when they face Al-Ittihad in a crucial Saudi League derby. If Ronaldo does not return to training soon, he will once again be absent from Jorge Jesus’ squad, representing a significant loss.
It is worth noting that Ronaldo is Al-Nassr’s top scorer in the Saudi League with 18 goals. The club currently sits in second place in the standings, just one point behind league leaders Al-Hilal.
