"I want him to have fun playing and winning" - Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival a matter of pride, says Al-Nassr boss Rudi Garcia
Al Nassr manager Rudi Garcia has claimed that his goal is to keep Cristiano Ronaldo happy at the club, which Erik ten Hag couldn't do at Manchester United.
Garcia acknowledged that the club are proud to welcome one of the greatest players of all time at the club. He further added that the legendary attacker will set an example for the rest of the team. Garcia furthered that he would look to keep the five-time Ballon d'Or winner happy and win many trophies together.
Here's what Garcia said (h/t The CR7 Timeline):
"One of the best ever. An honor for me and Al Nassr welcomes you here."
Rudi Garcia, coach of Al-Nassr:
"One of the best ever. An honor for me and Al Nassr welcomes you here."
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He further added:
"He's an an example, everyone knows it. My goal for Cristiano Ronaldo is for him to be happy, I want him to have fun playing with Al Nassr and winning with Al Nassr."
Anderson Talisca, David Ospina, and Luiz Gustavo are the most notable names among the legendary forward's new teammates at Al Nassr.
The Portuguese ace left Europe after winning it all with clubs like Sporting CP, Manchester United (two stints), Real Madrid, and Juventus.
He is a five-time winner of the UEFA Champions League and is the all-time top scorer in the competition with 140 goals.
Ronaldo scored 701 goals in club football during his stay on the European circuit.
Rio Ferdinand dismissed notions that Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al Nassr is sad
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has always shared a close bond with former teammate Ronaldo. He came to his friend's defense, dismissing claims that the Al Nassr transfer was a sad step in Ronaldo's career.
He said (via Mirror):
"I want to touch on a couple of things; I've been watching the media and people commenting, a few pundits and all different parts of media saying 'it's sad, a sad way for him to go out. There's only one sadness from me, two sadness's, the way it ended at Man United - I'm sad about that - for Cristiano and in hindsight, a couple of years, he'll look back and think it could've been handled differently from both himself and the club."
He added:
"That's one sadness because you want it to end in the best way possible and things be remembered positively but it won't be in some people's eyes, that's a tinge of sadness."
Ferdinand continued that the 2022 FIFA World Cup was a disappointment for Ronaldo but the move to Al Nassr is a new chapter in his career:
"The way the World Cup ended for him, a tinge of sadness, in terms of being on the bench, not having a huge impact in his last one, that's a tinge of sadness. But this next chapter going to Saudi Arabia, how do you look at that as a sadness? A sad way to end his career? I don't understand how people are saying that."
The Portugal captain will earn around €200 million, including commercial fees, at the Saudi Arabian club.