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Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to Al Nassr training and senior Saudi officials expect him to end his strike.Ronaldo had been considering his future in Saudi Arabia due to concerns over the financial backing Al Nassr are receiving compared to other clubs.
Ronaldo is now expected to play against Al Ittihad on Friday, although his return has not been confirmed. He posted a picture of himself in training on X on Wednesday.
However, officials are hoping he has made his point and Friday’s game will be too big for him to miss. He is also contractually obliged to play unless he is injured.The officials are surprised that he is unhappy – despite earning a reported £500,000 a day – and want him to play on Friday.
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He has 18 months left on his contract but it does have a £43m (€50m) summer release clause – even though he will turn 41 on Thursday.
Al Nassr could go top of the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
Ronaldo was missing from his team’s Saudi Pro League win over Al Riyadh on Monday – and Sky Sports News has been told the star is unhappy about the running of the club.The 40-year-old believes Al Nassr are not receiving the same financial support as the three other clubs owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF – Al Hilal, Al Ahli and Al Ittihad.
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Highlights of the Saudi Pro League match between Al Riyadh and Al Nassr
Ronaldo is angry that Al Hilal have signed Karim Benzema from Al Ittihad, while the only addition to the Al Nassr squad in the January window was a young Iraqi midfielder, Hayder Abdulkareem.Al Hilal lead Al Nassr by one point at the top of the Saudi Pro League and Ronaldo wanted his club to be more ambitious during the window because he wants to win the Saudi title for the first time.Although he feels PIF are giving their other clubs preferential treatment, Saudi Arabian football has opened up and clubs are now being bought by investors.Benzema’s move to Al Hilal is not being funded by the league or PIF but by a private billionaire Saudi investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. There is nothing stopping Al Nassr from signing more players with the backing of private investors.From a Saudi perspective, Ronaldo retains their full support and nothing has changed.
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Ronaldo scores for Al Nassr in their Saudi Pro League match at Al Kholood
He has been involved in the club at every level with his own team and they have been across all the transfers and investment opportunities, which makes it surprising that he is so unhappy.The SPL believe their league is a fair fight and there is still all to play for this season. The funding provided by the league is clear and fair across all PIF clubs.
If Al Nassr were not active in January, it was because they have already spent £100m this season.The financial regulations and league funding through the Player Acquisition Center of Excellence are designed to maintain integrity, make sure the league and clubs are sustainable and competitive.
