"There were players hallucinating and losing consciousness" - Cristiano Ronaldo and teammates warned as former Al-Nassr boss highlights experience
Former Al-Nassr boss Rui Vitoria has warned Cristiano Ronaldo and his club teammates as they head into the business end of the season.
The temperatures in the Middle East usually soar as summer approaches, which could make matters tricky for the players involved. Expressing his concerns and sharing his experience, Vitoria said (via @M7EE66):
"There is always a problem, which is the temperature. When we were playing in Jeddah, there were players hallucinating and losing consciousness between halftime."
Al-Nassr need an incredible turnaround if they are to to win the Saudi Pro League title this season. Currently, they're sitting second, 12 points behind leaders Al-Hilal.
Before the international break, the Riyadh-based side were knocked out of the AFC Champions League by Al Ain on penalties (4-4 on aggregate, March 12).
If Ronaldo's side need to complete a monumental comeback, they will certainly need the Portuguese icon's goals. He's been in incredible form this campaign, having scored 30 goals and bagged 11 assists from 33 appearances across competitions.
Once players return from international duty, Al-Nassr will prepare to face Al Tai in the league on Saturday (March 30). The visitors are 16th in the table and struggling at the moment, just seven points clear of bottom side Al-Hazm.
Jose Mourinho fails to rule out Saudi Arabia move after Cristiano Ronaldo 'opened the doors' by joining Al-Nassr
Jose Mourinho has kept open the possibility of joining Saudi Pro League teams in the future. The Portuguese coach revealed that he was approached by Al-Hilal, Al-Shabab, and Al-Ahli after his role at Roma ended in January this year.
Mourinho rejected these offers and decided to remain in Europe. However, he believes that he could one day end up in the Middle East after Cristiano Ronaldo proved that it was possible to enjoy life in the country.
Speaking to Fabrizio Romano, the former Chelsea boss said (via GOAL):
"Cristiano Ronaldo opened the doors in terms of believing that it's possible to be there and live there, to enjoy the development of a country that wants to be a different country with football that has a passion which is not developed."
"When I had the proposal, of course economically it was important because it was more important for me with Roma, European football and commitment. If you ask me in the future, experience has told me never say never."
Ronaldo came to Al-Nassr in January 2023 after having his contract mutually terminated at Manchester United. Following this, several stars like N'Golo Kante, Karim Benzema, and Neymar, among others, moved to Saudi Arabia.