"From No. 1 into oblivion" - Journalist suggests Al-Nassr star is 'angry' due to Cristiano Ronaldo's prominence at club
Al-Nassr star Talisca is upset with his decreased prominence following Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival at the club, according to Arab journalist Muhammad Al-Bukairy.
The Saudi Pro League completed the signing of the Portuguese icon on a two-and-a-half-year deal in December. The transfer was seen as a huge coup for football in the region.
Al-Nassr made Ronaldo the highest-paid player to lure him to the Middle East, with the player now said to earn £173 million a year. Apart from the financial package, they made him their captain immediately on his arrival.
Jaloliddin Masharipov had to change his jersey number to allow the five-time Ballon d'Or to take the No. 7 kit. However, the Uzbek recently dismissed suggestions that anyone at the club was unhappy about the superstar's prominence.
It, though, appears that not everyone at Mrsool Park is pleased with Cristiano Ronaldo's influence. Talisca, in particular, is infuriated by his decreased prominence following the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's signing, according to the aforementioned source.
With 13 goals, Talisca is the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League. However, he was left out of the Riyadh All-Star XI's line-up, consisting of players from Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal, to face Paris Saint-Germain in a friendly last month. Addressing the Brazilian's situation, Al-Bukairy tweeted:
"The arrival of the big star (Cristiano Ronaldo) moved him (Talisca) from No. 1 into oblivion, which made him angry, as it happened against the French team (PSG) when they put him on the bench."
🏻♂️
طرب.قدوم النجم الكبير حوله من ( نمبر 1) الى التجاهل. مما أثار غضبه . كما حدث في مواجهة الفريق الفرنسي عندما وضعوه في دكة البدلاء.
ودقي يا مزيكا 🎸🙆🏻♂️😅 طرب.
The journalist also claimed that a transfer to Turkey could be on the cards for the Al-Nassr attacker, saying:
"Urgent meetings in Turkey. Party hot."
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr teammate Talisca is sidelined with injury
Talisca was left out of Al-Nassr's matchday squad in their 3-0 win against Damac last weekend. He was unavailable for selection due to an injury, according to Arab journalist Ali Al-Enezi.
رسميًا |
غياب البرازيلي تاليسكا عن الملاعب لمدة 3-4 اسابيع و ذلك بسبب الاصابة و سيغادر الى البرازيل للعلاج .. https://t.co/T1ONrdza5O
The 29-year-old is expected to be sidelined for four weeks, as per the reporter. He's also said to have traveled to Brazil for the time being.
Al-Bukairy, though, has raised suspicions about Talisca's return to his homeland in recent days (via GOAL Arabic). He has suggested that the player leaving the Al-Aalami camp could be related to him being upset with Ronaldo.
The former Benfica star, though, had congratulated his teammates for their win against Damac at the weekend. Reports that he's unhappy at the Riyadh-based club have thus come as a surprise to many.