Cristiano Ronaldo appears to have gone on strike at his Saudi Arabian club.
The Al Nassr forward, who reportedly earns £500,000 a day, was noticeably absent from his team’s Saudi Pro League match against Al Riyadh on Monday.
Ronaldo is reportedly unhappy with the way the club he plays for is being run, Sky Sports News reports.
The 40-year-old is said to feel that other clubs that are also owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) are getting preferential treatment, especially in the transfer market.
Cristiano Ronaldo signed an initial two-year deal with Al Nassr in 2022 after leaving Manchester United. Pic: Reuters
Second-placed Al Nassr are one of four Saudi Pro League clubs owned by PIF, the other three being Al Hilal, Al Ahli and Al Ittihad.
Al Nassr beat Al Riyadh 1-0 without Ronaldo thanks to a goal from former Liverpool winger Sadio Mane.
The story behind Ronaldo’s absence
Sky Sports News’ chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol said: “The reason he didn’t play is he’s unhappy with the way Al Nassr have been run.
“He thought, in this [transfer] window, that the club would dig deep, bring in reinforcements and strengthen their squad. He feels that hasn’t happened.
“And that’s why he’s effectively gone on strike.”
The Portugal international, who has repeatedly been ranked as one of the world’s highest-paid athletes, reportedly became the first billionaire footballer last year.
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Ronaldo signed a two-year deal with Al Nassr in 2022 after leaving Manchester United following an explosive television interview in which he said that he felt “betrayed” by the Old Trafford club – and “did not respect” the team’s then-manager, Erik ten Hag.
