"He is still sharp" - Cristiano Ronaldo tipped to adapt quickly at Al-Nassr by Al-Ettifaq defender
Al-Ettifaq defender Marcel Tisserand has backed Cristiano Ronaldo to quickly settle into life at Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr amid claims that the forward is past his best.
Ronaldo put an end to speculation over his future by joining Al-Nassr on a free transfer last month. The £173 million-a-year deal saw him swap European football for a stint in the Middle East.
The Portuguese icon was keen to continue playing in Europe, but struggled to garner interest from top clubs. He thus put pen to paper on a two-year contract with the Saudi Pro League club, becoming the highest-paid footballer in the world in the process.
After serving a two-match ban for smashing an Everton fan's phone in April last year, the forward made his debut for Al-Nassr last weekend. He played the full 90 minutes as Rudi Garcia's men earned a 1-0 victory over Ettifaq in the league.
Lining up against Ronaldo on the evening was French-Congolese defender Tisserand. The Ettifaq centre-back had the opportunity to test himself against the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
Tisserand has now opened up on the experience of going up against the former Real Madrid superstar. He is positive that the forward will adapt to Saudi Arabian football quickly. The Ettifaq defender told Foot Mercato:
"You can see that he takes good care of himself. It is certain that he no longer has his 20-year-old legs. We are not going to ask him to dribble five players as he could have done a few years ago, finishing on his own."
Tisserand also pointed out how the 37-year-old superstar has evolved his game over time. He added:
"We see that now he needs his teammates a little more. He plays a lot more with his head, pays more attention to his movements, and to his sense of timing. He evolves with the times. I think he will adapt quite quickly to this championship."
Ronaldo's Al-Nassr face Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Super Cup today
Ronaldo will make his cup bow for Al-Nassr against Saudi Pro League rivals Al-Ittihad today, January 26. The clubs will lock horns in the semi-finals of the competition for a place in the final.
Meanwhile, the former Manchester United superstar will be determined to get off the mark for Al-Aalami today. It thus remains to be seen if he will score his first goal for the club against Al-Ittihad.
A victory over the Jeddah-based club today will see Al-Nassr face either Al-Hilal or Al Reiha in the Saudi Super Cup final. The match will be held at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh on Sunday, January 29.