Al-Shabab players to receive high bonuses if they defeat Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr in SPL clash: Reports
According to emerging reports, Al-Shabab's management has promised bonuses worth a huge chunk if they manage to beat Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr. As per Saudi league insider Abdulaziz Altamimi (via X), the incentive comes after the club recently paid overdue wages. The club hierarchy is also looking to spur the team on as they head into the key encounter against Ronaldo's side.
The game will be played at Al-Awwal Park on Friday (March 7). Al-Nassr sit fourth on the SPL table with 47 points, and will want to bounce back as they have lost two of their last three games in the league. Ronaldo was absent during their recent goalless draw against Esteghlal in the AFC Champions League. However, he will lead the line against Al-Shabab.
In contrast, Al-Shabab have hit form, winning back-to-back league matches for the first time since November. They have climbed to sixth place with 39 points from 23 games, following their 2-0 win against Damac FC recently. They have remained unbeaten in four of their last five matches, and could snatch a result against Al Nassr if the reports about the bonuses are true.
Al-Nassr are expected to win in this fixture as the Riyadh-based club are undefeated in the past eight matches against Al-Shabab. However, given the recent resurgence of Al-Shabab and the reported financial rewards to the players, they are likely to break this trend and attempt their best to upset the odds.
Former Al-Nassr attacker seemingly criticizes Cristiano Ronaldo while defending new signing
Former Al-Nassr star Anderson Talisca seemed to have criticized Cristiano Ronaldo following the club's recent struggles. The Fenerbahce forward responded to fans who have criticized new arrival Jhon Duran, implying that they did not want to identify the "real mistake" in the team.
In a post after Nassr lost 2-1 to Al-Orobah, a fan page attacked Duran's performance. Talisca defended the new signing with the response (via GOAL):
"He is a great player and will do a lot for this club. The problem is that you always want to find someone to blame for the defeats, but you don’t see where the real mistake lies. Stop acting like this all the time. You know where the mistake is, you're just afraid to say it, lol.”
He added:
“And on top of that, you want to do to Duran what they did to me, to benefit others.”
It is believed that Cristiano Ronaldo was the subject of Talisca's remarks. The Al-Nassr frontline has been built around the legendary striker since he joined them in January 2023. However, they have not won a trophy, aside from the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023.