Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al-Nassr will give more 'visibility' to Saudi football, says AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli
AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli recently admitted that Cristiano Ronaldo's headline-grabbing move to Saudi Arabia will grab a lot of eyeballs to the country's footballing ventures.
Ronaldo recently joined Al-Nassr as a free agent after mutually terminating his contract with Manchester United in November. The move marked the player's legendary run in European football coming to an end.
Ronaldo, however, will earn a mega salary. The deal with Al-Nassr will see the five-time Ballon d'Or winner pocket close to โฌ200 million per year (inclusive of image rights and sponsorship deals).
Pioli and AC Milan are currently in Riyadh as they get ready to take on city rivals Inter Milan in the final of the Supercopa de Italia. Milan enter the clash as the defending Italian champions.
Speaking ahead of the game, Scaloni was quizzed about former Juventus ace Cristiano Ronaldo's sensational move to Saudi Arabia. He replied (via Mundo Deportivo):
"His arrival of him will give a great impact and visibility to the Saudi Arabian league."
Cristiano Ronaldo spent over three seasons in Italy with Juventus. He scored 101 goals and provided 22 assists in 134 matches during his time in Italy.
Milan, however, are currently concerned with the job of winning the Supercopa de Italia. I Rossoneri captain Davide Calabria claimed that he is eager to lift the trophy and said ahead of the match:
"My goal tomorrow is to win this title. My dream is to win as many titles as possible and this is among them."
I Rossoneri are currently second in Serie A with 38 points from 18 games. They trail league leaders Napoli by a massive margin of nine points.
Cristiano Ronaldo set to captain Riyadh XI against PSG
Cristiano Ronaldo's debut in Saudi Arabian football might come in an unexpected manner. He is yet to make his debut for Al-Nassr as the Portuguese was handed a two-match ban by the FA for smashing an Everton fan's phone during a Premier League clash last season.
Ronaldo, however, looks poised to play for Riyadh XI as they take on Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in a friendly. The former Real Madrid player is, in fact, set to captain his team in the game.
The match might see Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on the same football pitch yet again and perhaps for the last time ever. The duo blessed fans with countless mind-blowing battles over the course of the last 15 years or so.