Cristiano Ronaldo was presented as an Al-Nassr player on Tuesday but the superstar is banned from making his debut on Thursday following his behaviour at Man United.
Last April, the Portuguese international smashed an Everton fan’s phone from his hand after Man United lost a match at Goodison Park and following an investigation, the 37-year-old was found guilty of improper and violent conduct.
As punishment for his behaviour, Ronaldo was hit with a £50,000 fine and suspended for two games by the England Football Association on November 17th, but the superstar never served the ban as the World Cup began before he eventually left Man United.
According to the Daily Mail, this will now carry over to Al-Nassr and it will stop the Saudi Arabia club from parading their new striker until two games have passed.
Cristiano Ronaldo was unveiled by Al Nassr on Tuesday
Al-Nassr are scheduled to play against Al-Ta’ee on Thursday and the Daily Mail states that all 28,000 seats in the stadium have been sold out to see Ronaldo.
The Saudi Arabian league leaders don’t play again until January 14, which means fans might not get to see the Portuguese star make his debut until January 21 when Al-Nassr play Ettifaq.
This will come as a blow to fans of Al-Nassr as they will be desperate to see one of the biggest stars in the game wear their club’s shirt.
Cristiano Ronaldo splits with agent Jorge Mendes after to disagreement during Manchester United exit
Cristiano Ronaldo with his long-time agent Jorge Mendes in 2019 (Reuters)
Cristiano Ronaldo has split with his long-time agent Jorge Mendes following a disagreement which led to his Manchester United exit, according to reports in Portugal.
Mendes has represented Ronaldo since his £12.2 million move from Sporting CP to United in 2003 and has stayed with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner throughout his glittering career.
However, Portuguese newspaper Publico reports that Ronaldo severed ties with Mendes in November, which coincided with his swift departure at United.
The report claims that Mendes was against Ronaldo’s decision to take part in a lengthy interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV in which he slammed United’s hierarchy and manager Erik ten Hag.
It’s understood that Mendes spent months attempting to find another team in Europe for Ronaldo and knew that his stinging interview would prematurely end his second stint at Old Trafford.
It’s also claimed that Mendes had disagreed with Ronaldo over his career trajectory for some time as the 37-year-old has remained adamant that he can still perform for a top Champions League club.
Cristiano Ronaldo is now represented by Ricardo Regufe, who he worked with at Nike (UEFA via Getty)
Publico reports that Ronaldo has now entrusted Ricardo Regufe, who initially worked as a representative for Nike in Portugal before he became a full-time member of Ronaldo’s entourage.
Mendes initially brought Al-Nassr’s interest to Ronaldo in November but the 37-year-old is said to have instructed Regufe to contact the Saudi Arabian club following Portugal’s elimination from the World Cup last week.
Speaking at his unveiling with Al-Nassr on Tuesday, Ronaldo claimed he had received offers from teams in Europe.
‘In Europe my work is done,’ Ronaldo said.
‘I had many offers in Europe, many in Brazil, Australia, the US, even in Portugal.
‘Many clubs tried to sign me but I gave my word to this club, for the opportunity to have not only football but [to be] part of this amazing country. And for me it was a challenge.
Source: caughtoffside.com; metro.co.uk
