Former Real Madrid defender Pepe has revealed that the reason for Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Al Nassr was that he wanted to be happy. The Portuguese star has settled in well in Saudi Arabia and scored four goals in the previous match.
Ronaldo was released by Manchester United in November 2022 following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan. In the interview, the former Juventus star took shots at the English club and went on to say that he had no respect for manager Erik ten Hag.
After Ronaldo’s split with United, the Portuguese decided to join Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr. The move has been criticized by fans and pundits alike, with most accusing the 38-year-old of selling out for a giant contract.
Pepe has now revealed that Ronaldo’s decision to join Al Nassr was purely based on his own happiness. OJogo quoted him saying:
“I knew about that and contacted him. He told me that he is fine and the most important thing for him is to feel this way and for his family to be satisfied.”
Cristiano Ronaldo rejected offers to join Al Nassr
Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that he rejected multiple offers to join Al Nassr. He added that the offers were not just from European clubs but also from many clubs worldwide.
In his unveiling, Ronaldo claimed his job was done in Europe and said:
“My work in Europe is done. I won everything. I played for the most important clubs in Europe. For me now is a new challenge! I had many opportunities in Europe, many clubs, in Brazil, in Australia, US, even in Portugal there is many clubs who tried to sign me.”
Speaking about him picking Al Nassr, he added:
“But I gave my word to this club. Not only to develop the football but other parts of the country. For me, it’s a good challenge. I know what I want, I know what I don’t want. For me it’s a good chance to help with my knowledge and experience to grow many important points.”
Cristiano reiterated his mission to spread football to different parts of the world:
“I want to give a different vision of the country, of the football, of the perspective of everybody. This is why I’m here and why I took this opportunity.”
Reports suggest the Saudi Arabian side are paying Cristiano Ronaldo $200 million per season, with his contract set to last until 2025. He has scored five goals in three matches so far for Al Nassr.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s son fashions thobe in selfie with grandmother
The Portuguese footballer and his family are settling into life in Saudi Arabia
Cristiano Ronaldo and his family appear to be settling well into life in Saudi Arabia, if an Instagram post by the footballer’s mum is anything to go by.
Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro shared a selfie with her grandson Cristiano Jr, who is wearing a traditional thobe.
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Cristiano Jr wearing a traditional Saudi-style thobe and his grandmother. Photo: Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro / Instagram
Having recently arrived in the kingdom and joined her family, she captioned the image: “Already with my boy”.
In the photo, Cristiano Jr, 12, is wearing a thobe in the Saudi style, with a two-button collar, teamed with a baseball cap.
A thobe, or thawb, is an ankle-length robe with long sleeves, commonly worn by men in the Gulf region. In the UAE, it is known as a kandura, while in Kuwait, Iraq and Oman it is sometimes called a dishdasha.
There are also subtle variations in style around the Gulf. The Saudi version is cut to be slim-fitting and has a collar with two or three buttons. It has sleeves with cuffs, so is designed to be worn with cufflinks. Kuwaiti men wear a similar slim-fit thobe, but the collar is normally only one button.
The Emirati version is collarless, as is the Omani thobe, and both instead have a tassel, or tarboosh, that can be traced back to Bedouin culture. Both are cut to be slightly looser in fit.
The Saudi, Kuwaiti and Emirati thobes are teamed with a headscarf, called a ghutra or keffiyeh, which can be worn in many colours. The most famous are red and white or black and white. Authentic checkered keffiyeh are now only made in the Hirbawi factory in Hebron, as The National discovered on a trip to the West Bank last year.
Omani men, meanwhile, wear an embroidered hat called a kuma that comes in many colours. In winter, it is typically switched for an embroidered wool headscarf called a mussar.
Ronaldo and his family relocated to Riyadh in January after the footballer signed a contract with Al Nassar.
Source: sportskeeda.com; thenationalnews.com
