“We are keeping him from getting hurt” – Al-Nassr star opens up on how teammates ‘care’ for Cristiano Ronaldo in training
Al Nassr midfielder Jaloliddin Masharipov recently spoke about the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo at the club in an interview. He has revealed how all of his teammates care for the global superstar to ensure he avoids picking up any injuries during training.
After leaving Manchester United in November, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner joined Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr on a two-and-a-half-year contract worth around €200m a year until June 2025. The club announced his arrival on 31 December.
Fast forward one month and six days, his club teammate Masharipov sat down with Sports.ru to discuss Cristiano Ronaldo's impact on the club and its players. When asked if the players play at full strength in training compared to Ronaldo, he replied:
“To be honest, before Ronaldo's arrival, I assumed that my teammates would not act harshly on him during training but it didn't turn out that way. Everyone is trying to be as professional as possible but somewhere we feel that we respect him."
He added:
"We may not raise the leg sharply, we may not throw a 'podkat'. It's just because we respect him. No one asked us to do this. We are keeping him from getting hurt. This is normal. This is how we take care of any teammate."
It is clear that the Uzbek professional and the rest of his Al Nassr teammates understand Cristiano Ronaldo's importance to the team. They are protecting the former Real Madrid player in training to ensure is at full strength during match days.
Ronaldo got off the mark by converting a penalty in the last minute in a 2-2 draw against Al Fateh.
Al Nassr will be counting on their talisman when they travel to Al Wehda on Thursday (9 February). They are currently top of the league on goal difference, ahead of Al Shadab and Al Ittihad.
Al Nassr star reveals what changed in the club after the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo
In the same interview, Al Nassr midfielder Jaloliddin Masharipov also revealed what has changed in the team following Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival. He spoke to Sports.ru:
"Nothing has changed. It's just that the number of followers on Instagram has increased. At the same time, the number of people who want to watch the championship of Saudi Arabia has increased. In terms of training, everything is the same as before."
When questioned about how Cristiano Ronaldo interacts with everyone in the dressing room, he said:
"From the day he arrived, he got along with everyone. He said that we should all be one family and emphasized several times that he came to win the prize. He sees everyone as the same even during training. Therefore, his respect is increasing day by day. He is also an excellent example of humanity."