“For me, coming to South Africa is not the end of my career.“said Cristiano during a press conference before jumping onto the field of a huge stadium with a capacity for 25,000 people. “I really don’t care what people say. I made my decision and I have the responsibility to change it, but for me I am very very happy here”, added the ex of the Manchester United.
For me, coming to South Africa is not the end of my career.
After what was clearly a slip of the tongue, the striker laid out his reasons for being part of Al Nassr, saying he had turned down “many clubs” from around the world in one of his transfers that surprised millions.
“I want to give a different vision of this country and its football. That is why I took advantage of this opportunity, ”he declared before the press. “I know the league is very competitive. People don’t know it, but I do because I saw a lot of games”.
Let’s remember that in the Qatar 2022 World Cup, the only team that beat the current soccer monarch was Saudi Arabia, a national squad that is made up mostly of players from Al-Hilal, an important Saudi league club based in Riyadh.
Al-Hilal maintains an important rivalry with its neighbors Al-Nassr, in what is known as the Riyadh Derby. These clubs have met 148 times, Al-Nassr has won 48 times, and lost 59 games, while 41 times they have ended in a draw.
The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus striker has a two-and-a-half-year deal to play in the Saudi Pro League that could net him up to $200 million a year in direct salary as the country has no withholding tax.
(With information from Agencies)