Cristiano Ronaldo: "My contract is unique because I am a unique player"
Among the most painful images of the end of the year is Cristiano Ronaldo's pose with the Al Nassr shirt, which is painful because of the colour, the meaning, the comparison with Messi, and because it seems to be more of a low-end shirt from any flea market, rather than a shirt worthy of the five-time European champion's career. What's more, it even has a cotton feel to it that will have "pilling" in the first wash. Many of us will find it hard to get used to not seeing Cristiano Ronaldo among the elite of world football. The Portuguese star shocked the football world by moving to Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Nassr, but the Portuguese star received a million-dollar offer that made any intention of a contract in Europe completely ridiculous.
The Portuguese is by far the highest paid player in the world. Interestingly, Cristiano Ronaldo's salary exceeds that of all four of his predecessors combined. The outrageous figure to be paid by the Arabian side for CR7 has placed him as the highest paid footballer on the entire planet, remember, of 214 million euros a year. "I am a unique player. I have broken all the records in Europe and I want to break them here too. This contract is unique because I am a unique player, so it's normal". After more than 15 years at the highest level with a consistency never seen before, the Portuguese star is "retiring" from top-level football. The Portuguese said he is coming to a league that is growing with a lot of money and capable of competing in the future, why not, with European football.
الرياضي الأعظـم عالميًا ?
— نادي النصر السعودي (@AlNassrFC) December 30, 2022
يـوقع رسميًا لـ #العالمي ?#رونالدو_نصراوي pic.twitter.com/BBq469mAYh
Ronaldo holds the record for Champions League goals and top scorer in national teams. "In Europe my work is finished," Cristiano Ronaldo declared on Tuesday during the presentation to the fans of Al-Nassr, the Saudi club to which the Portuguese star has committed himself until 2025. "In Europe my work is over, I have won everything, I have played for the biggest clubs," said the Portuguese footballer at a press appearance adding that he had received numerous offers from European clubs and even Brazil, but had given his "word" to the officials of his new club and wanted to take the "opportunity" to play in Asia.
Impeccably dressed in a dark suit and white shirt, Ronaldo, 37, again displayed his famous ego by describing himself as a "unique player". "It's a pleasure to be here. I broke all the records there (in Europe) and I want to break some here too," the Portuguese told reporters at Mrsool Park stadium, where his new club usually play. Ronaldo added: "I am here to win, to compete, to be happy, to be part of the success of this country and the culture of this country. He confirmed that he chose the Saudi Arabian club and turned down "many" offers not only from Europe, but also from "Brazil, Australia, the United States and even Portugal".
اللحظات الأولى لوصول اللاعـب الأفضل في #العالم ??
— نادي النصر السعودي (@AlNassrFC) January 3, 2023
نجـم #النصر كريستيانـو رونـالـدو في الريـاض ?#HalaRonaldo ? pic.twitter.com/NlxLNmh1Ma
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner agreed to terminate his contract with Manchester United in November, shortly before the start of the World Cup in Qatar, where the Portugal captain reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Morocco. Ronaldo, who holds the Champions League scoring record and is the national team's top scorer, acknowledged that football has changed a lot in the past two decades, referring to Saudi Arabia's recent World Cup win over Argentina, which Argentina would ultimately go on to win. "For me, coming to Saudi Arabia is not the end of my career. To be honest, I don't care what people say," he insisted.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been one of the most written about players because of his innate quality for the sport, but more has been written because of what he does and says off the pitch. It is common knowledge that the Portuguese player's ego is inordinate, partly because he can, partly because he likes it. As the Spanish proverb says, time puts everyone in their place. While Messi won the most coveted trophy for any player, even for a sportsman as individualistic as Cristiano Ronaldo, who is now in a minor league where his only aspiration will be that Leo does not score more goals than him.
If there is one reason why CR's arrival in Saudi Arabia is surprising, it is because of famous statements such as those he made after Xavi, current coach of FC. Barcelona that Messi is the best in the world, where Ronaldo insinuated that if you play in a minor league, like the one in Arabia, your opinion does not deserve to be heard. If you told me five or six years ago that Cristiano Ronaldo would sign for an Arab team I wouldn't believe it. After his departure from Madrid, any option could be considered a possibility. What to expect from the player who was "sad" at the best club in history because he wasn't paid enough.
Why now, in a league where he has no more competition than his own teammates; in a football world where he earns more than Messi, Mbappé, Neymar and Iniesta combined; does he not look happy?, very simple, because deep in his heart he knows that the decision was a mistake, and even more knowing that, at Real Madrid, where his son plays, they love him as if he had never left. I never thought that a person so insatiable in his day to day life could put aside his pride. What a shame as a football fan not to be able to see such a beautiful end to such a unique player.
