The Saudi Pro League has issued a blunt response to Cristiano Ronaldo as the 41-year-old superstar continues his protest against the league’s management of teams. The Al Nassr forward is reportedly frustrated with the strength of his team’s squad and has refused to play in the last two games.
BBC Sport reports that the tipping point was the news that Karim Benzema was leaving Al Ittihad to sign for league leaders Al Hilal. Benzema - Ronaldo’s former teammate at Real Madrid - scored a hat-trick on his debut earlier this week. CR7 has not made a public comment on the situation but the Saudi Pro League has issued a pointed statement in response to his absence.
“The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: every club operates independently under the same rules,” the statement reads. “Clubs have their own boards, their own executives and their own football leadership. Decisions on recruitment, spending and strategy sit with those clubs, within a financial framework designed to ensure sustainability and competitive balance. That framework applies equally across the league.
“Cristiano has been fully engaged with Al-Nassr since his arrival and has played an important role in the club’s growth and ambition,” the statement continues. “But no individual - however significant - determines decisions beyond their own club.
Ronaldo is one of the most recognizable people in the world and his commercial pull is far beyond any other player in the state-owned Saudi Pro League. However the league’s sharp response shows a degree of frustration that Ronaldo - the world’s highest-paid athlete - appears unhappy with his circumstances in Saudi Arabia.
Not only does Ronaldo have an annual tax-free salary of $230 million, but he has also received significant squad-building investment for the rest of the team. His Al Nassr teammates include Sadio Mané, João Félix, Kingsley Coman and Marcelo Brozović, all signed from some of the biggest teams in world soccer. Ronaldo may be the centerpiece of the Saudi Pro League project but he may start to feel the limits of his own power.
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