“Saudi League is not the Premier League” - Cristiano Ronaldo says Saudi Pro League has ‘surprised’ him
Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo recently spoke about his experience of playing in the Saudi Pro League (SPL). Ronaldo moved to the Middle Eastern club as a free agent.
The 38-year-old has since played 10 games for Al-Nassr, scoring nine goals and providing two assists. Ronaldo was also named the SPL's player of the month for February. The Portuguese forward recently compared the Saudi Pro League with the Premier League.
While he acknowledged that they're not at the same level, Ronaldo claimed that he has been surprised by his experience in Saudi Arabia. Speaking ahead of Portugal's clash against Liechtenstein in the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers, Ronaldo said:
“Saudi League is not the Premier League, I am not going to lie. But it’s a league that has left me positively suprised. It can become a very big league because of how much they want to keep improving.”
🗣️ Cristiano Ronaldo: “Saudi League is not the Premier League, I am not going to lie. But it’s a league that has left me positively suprised. It can become a very big league because of how much they want to keep improving.” https://t.co/Rb0WNucPnj
The 38-year-old's arrival at the Middle Eastern club has elevated the popularity of Asian football as well. Many new countries have started broadcasting the SPL since Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr.
Saudi Arabian sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faizal recently said:
“I’ll give you an example, just by Ronaldo coming we have 137 channels around the world broadcasting the Saudi league. We wanted that in the beginning but they said they were not interested, but since one player came now it’s all over the world.”
Al-Nassr are currently second in the Saudi Pro League table. They have 49 points from 21 matches and trail league leaders Al-Ittihad by a point.
Cristiano Ronaldo spoke about his Manchester United exit
Cristiano Ronaldo's second spell at Manchester United came to a sour end. His relationship with manager Erik ten Hag turned acrimonious as the Dutchman used him sparingly.
Ronaldo's explosive interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan was the final straw for the Red Devils as they mutually agreed to terminate his contract.
Ronaldo recently said about his exit (via Manchester Evening News):
"Sometimes, you have to go through some things to see who is on my side. I have no problem saying, I had a bad career run, but there’s no time for regrets. Life goes on and, doing well or not, it was part of my growth."
Cristiano Ronaldo is on the cusp of making history with Portugal as he could become the highest appearance maker in men's international football with 197 caps if he plays against Liechtenstein.