"They bring the attention to the league" - Al-Khaleej coach hails Cristiano Ronaldo's impact on Saudi Pro League
Al-Khaleej coach Pedro Emanuel recently lavished praise on Cristiano Ronaldo for the attention he has brought to the Saudi Pro League (SPL). Ronaldo's arrival in the Middle East has given the country's football unprecedented popularity. The league is currently being broadcast in 137 countries across the globe.
Emanuel has been managing in Saudi Arabia for a while now. The Portuguese coach was once even in charge of Ronaldo's current club Al-Nassr. Speaking about how the league has changed with time, Emanuel told the Saudi Pro League's official website:
“I believe that from the first time that I was here, five years ago, for now, the league has improved a lot. Not only with the quality of the players that are coming, younger players with better conditions to make the difference in our league. But, also the clubs have better conditions, infrastructure, that gives conditions to the players that come, to the coaches that come, to the staff that come, to make better work."
He continued:
This is the challenge for everybody and the [Saudi Arabian Football] Federation is also having a contribution on this, making the conditions better for everybody."
Speaking further about Ronaldo's impact on the league, Emanuel said:
“This league is improving every year. Now, with big names like Cristiano Ronaldo for instance, [they] bring the attention to the league and also show to the world the Saudi league – and the Saudi football game.”
Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr as a free agent and made his debut for the club in January. He has already scored 12 goals and provided three assists for the club. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was named SPL's Player of the Month in February.
When will Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo next be in action?
Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will return to action on May 8 as Dinko Jelicic's side take on Al-Khaleej in a Saudi Pro League home clash. Al-Alami defeated Al-Raed by a scoreline of 4-0 in their latest league game, with Ronaldo getting on the scoresheet.
Al-Nassr are currently second in the league table with 56 points from 25 matches. They trail Al-Ittihad by three points, having played one game more than the league leaders.
The Saudi Pro League is currently Al-Nassr's only chance of winning silverware this season. However, as things stand, it looks like Cristiano Ronaldo might go trophyless in his first season in Saudi football.