The Saudi side were top of the table when the Portuguese superstar arrived in January on a colossal contract, but were usurped by Al-Ittihad
Cristiano Ronaldo has definitely still got it. He posted a picture of himself in his underwear last Saturday and racked up four million likes on Instagram inside the first two hours. Furthermore, his historically big-money move to Saudi Arabia has seen him knock one-time rival Lionel Messi off the top of the Forbes list of the highest-earning athletes in sport.
It's been a slightly different story on the field, though. When he arrived in Riyadh in January to impressive fanfare, Al-Nassr were top of the Saudi Pro League. However, Ronaldo's new club sensationally ended up finishing second to Al-Ittihad, who claimed their first title in 14 yearsafter Ronaldo and Co. slipped to a 1-1 draw against Al-Ettifaq on Saturday. That result left Al-Nassr five points behind the champions elect with just one game left to play.
So, what went wrong for the heavy favourites? Did Al-Nassr throw away the title? And was Ronaldo's signing a factor in an underwhelming second half of the season?
'A better man now'?
Ronaldo recently conceded that he had a "bad career run" during his second stint at Manchester United, which ended with him leaving in the most acrimonious of circumstances, prompting criticism from some of his staunchest supporters.
However, he argued that it was "part of my growth", that it helped him mature. "I'm a better man now," he insisted in an interview with in March.
That may well be true, but he's certainly not a calmer character. If anything, the Ronaldo we've seen in Saudi Arabia is even more aggressive and petulant than any previous incarnation of 'CR7'. In the space of a month, we saw him angrily boot the ball away (while Al-Nassr were 2-0 up!), kick a water bottle, lash out at his own bench, throw a tantrum over a contentious call, shove a member of a rival backroom team who wanted a selfie, reject a shirt-swap, and even floor an opponent with a wrestling-style takedown.
Most controversially of all, he appeared to make an obscene gesture towards Al-Hilal fans – who had been taunting him with Messi chants from before the game – after a 2-0 loss at the King Fahd International Stadium on April 18.
There were even calls for him to be kicked out of the league for grabbing his crotch in a seemingly provocative manner. However, Ronaldo escaped sanction, thanks in no small part to the fact that The Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Saudi Football Association only reviewed official match footage of the game, and not fan videos that subsequently appeared on social media.
Although the club's rather ingenious explanation of Ronaldo's actions, which was relayed to journalist Muhammed Al-Enezi, may also have helped: "Ronaldo suffers from an injury. His challenge with Gustavo Cuellar, the Al-Hilal player, started with a blow in a very sensitive area. This is confirmed information. As for the fans' explanations, they are free to think whatever they want."
AdvertisementGetty Images'The envious invent the rumour…'
It's worth noting that Ronaldo has, depressingly, had to put up with increased media focus on his private life since arriving in Saudi Arabia. There were even reports that his relationship with Georgina Rodriguez was on the rocks after an argument while boarding a plane in April. However, Ronaldo's partner replied on Instagram: "The envious invent the rumour, the gossip spreads it and the idiot believes it."
Such tabloid tattle is, unfortunately, nothing new for the family. The only difference during this latest adventure is that they have had to deal with scrutiny of their marital status, given it's illegal for an unmarried couple to cohabit in Saudi Arabia.
An exception seems to have been made for Ronaldo and Rodriguez, but that still hasn't ceased speculation surrounding the latter's online activity because of the country's laws on clothing and social media posts. Almost inevitably, that has led to talk of the Argentina-born Spanish model being unsettled in Saudi Arabia and wanting to return to Europe.
'The not-so-happy life he's living'
Brazil legend Rivaldo recently questioned Ronaldo's decision to join Al-Nassr, claiming that "sometimes players are fooled by the big contracts they sign in Saudi Arabia".
"But then life there is more closed and soccer is not always as easy as they expect," the World Cup winner told . "Maybe he’s going through a period of disappointment and even reflection. Is the money he’s being paid to make up for the not-so-happy life he’s living right now?"
Reports in Spain suggest that Real Madrid's all-time record goalscorer is not happy with the standard of infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, with claiming that he feels it is "very far from modern society". However, it would be unfair to portray Ronaldo's time in Saudi Arabia to date as a completely miserable experience.
We've seen his family in the stands joyously celebrating a dramatic win over Al-Batin at the start of March, while Ronaldo himself was all smiles after twice receiving special cakes from his club, first for his birthday, and then for becoming the most-capped player in international football history. We also saw the Portuguese's playful side when he played the role of photographer during a team training session.
Flashes of his former self
There have also undoubtedly been times when he's looked like he's enjoying his football again. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner may have been held scoreless in his first two competitive outings for Al-Nassr, but he was named the Saudi Pro League's Player of the Month for February after scoring eight times in just four fixtures.
With on rounds remaining, he's managed 14 goals in 19 matches, which is not too shabby, even if five of those strikes came from the penalty spot.
There have also been flashes of the old turn of pace that used to leave defenders trailing in his wake, and even a goal from a free-kick.
Of course, at other times, he's looked like exactly what he is: an ageing superstar struggling to connect with colleagues of inferior quality. "I swear to God," former Al-Nassr star Fahd Al-Huraifi wrote on Twitter, "I did not want Cristiano to come to the Al-Nassr while we still had Talisca, because if both players say 'Give me the ball to score', it's a disaster.
"I love Ronaldo very much, I love his professionalism and respect, all of which are indisputable but… he is no longer able to dribble or rely on himself. He always wants an assist."
Of course, that is precisely the kind of striker Ronaldo has had to become in order to prolong his incredible career. But it's also why agent Jorge Mendes was unable to find any elite European club for his former client last summer, leading to their bitter "divorce".
Ronaldo believes he can still score goals at the very highest level – and why wouldn't he, given everything he's achieved in his career? But fellow United legend Eric Cantona is among those who feel that Ronaldo is struggling to accept that he no longer deserves to be a starter wherever he plays – which is what Erik ten Hag quickly concluded at Old Trafford earlier this season.
"There are two types of veterans: those who want to play every game because they still think they’re 25 and those who realise they’re not 25 and are here to help young players, they know they won’t play every game, but they’re aware that they’ll have their moment," the Frenchman told .
"There are players who help new players: [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic still does it with Milan, or [technical director] Paolo Maldini when he was a player at Milan. Ronaldo doesn’t realise he’s not 25 years old. He’s already older and doesn’t know that, instead of being unhappy about not having played all the time, he should accept the situation."
Ronaldo appears unsuited to such a role, though. As he admitted himself, he struggled to get through the younger players during his second stint at United, thought that arguably says more about them than Ronaldo.