Cristiano Ronaldo - Much Ado About Al Nassr

justsomebloke

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He’s still one of the biggest names in football and has giant (is it largest among footballers?) followership in social media - up until today me you and hundreds of millions of others didn’t know what Al Nassr was, now their completely irrelevant league has a multiple ballon d’Or winner and his game there will get attention. Combine that with 2030 bid and you’re buying a man that gets you more legitimacy and glamour than any PR agency or marketing campaign. For them, he’s worth twice the money they pay.
No doubt. If Qatar think it's money well spent to pay David Beckham 200 m USD to smile at cameras and say nice platitudes about them, this by comparison is a positive steal for the Saudis.
 

NewGlory

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He's finished at top level though, there's not much left to do with his time as a footballer, he's 37 not 32. It's expected that a player of his age ends up in some lower level league for one last paycheck.
Sure, but not in Saudi Arabia for no other reason but more money. He clearly can't tell when money is enough. That is sad.
 

JB7

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Why rich people always want more money if they are rich already?
Wanting more money is hardly exclusive to rich people in fairness. I doubt most people in any position would turn down a quadruple-your-money salary six weeks after being sacked.
 

TheGame

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After having a go at the Glazers, he has some nerve signing for a club funded by the Saudi Government. But then again, hypocrisy isn’t new to him. Morgan must look like a plonker now having said that the move isn’t happening.
 

mu4c_20le

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Hints of racism here but okay.

Like saying coming England to see the Buckingham Palace with a side dish of partying with underage girls with Prince Andrew.
But capital punishment is actually a normal thing over there.
 

Steven7290

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It just had to be that no one in Europe would touch him with a barge pole, even with a pay cut.

Otherwise I will never be able to comprehend the shitty things he did to us, then not accepting to earn a bit less to play Champions League football at 38 breaking more records. And he strikes me more as an egomaniac than a pure greedy feck who chooses money over glory.

Edit: also, cant wait for the interview :D
 

2mufc0

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Sure, but not in Saudi Arabia for no other reason but more money. He clearly can't tell when money is enough. That is sad.
The whole point is for the last pay day, plenty of players have done it, for example Beckham and Bale. It's not sad, he'll be earning more money than he ever has before for a couple of years.

I don't have an issue with sportsmen chasing some extra cash their careers are really short and should make the most of it.
 

Stringer

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Hints of racism here but okay.

Like saying coming England to see the Buckingham Palace with a side dish of partying with underage girls with Prince Andrew.
It's not really but carry on being oversensitive.
 

justsomebloke

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Wanting more money is hardly exclusive to rich people in fairness. I doubt most people in any position would turn down a quadruple-your-money salary six weeks after being sacked.
Only he wasn't sacked. He forced his own exit. From a job which paid him about 20m quid a year. Also, most people who find themselves out of a job doesn't already possess way more money than they could ever hope to spend. But obviously a final fat paycheck to add further infinity to his spending prospects matters more to him than proving he's still a viable player at a high level. Maybe he prefers to let the size of the paycheck feed his ego, since his on-pitch performance no longer can.
 

Steven7290

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The whole point is for the last pay day, plenty of players have done it, for example Beckham and Bale. It's not sad, he'll be earning more money than he ever has before for a couple of years.

I don't have an issue with sportsmen chasing some extra cash their careers are really short and should make the most of it.
His career has been a pretty long and successful one, I think "making the most of it" does not apply to a player like him, or Messi
 

Unam333

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Lot of football fans embarrassing themselves. Extraordinary career which somehow managed to play out in top leagues til 37 is wild. Compare to Xavi going to a Qatar team at age 35 or Iniesta to Japan at 34. This should be neither surprise nor main story news outside the fact that the relationship with United broke down. And that's an old and worn story.
Don't compare Xavi and Iniesta with C. Ronaldo. The former two left Barcelona on good terms. Ronaldo on the other hand disrespected the club thinking he's bigger than the club. Last season the club reached out to him and signed him out of romanticism. A chance for him to end his career on a high at a big club. His messed it up big time.
 

2mufc0

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His career has been a pretty long and successful one, I think "making the most of it" does not apply to a player like him, or Messi
Any person will maximise their earnings while they can esp with shorter careers like sports , it doesn't really matter what they've earned in the past. That's why even Messi is taking 25m from the Saudis to market their country.
 

Shez

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Am I being ignorant but do they have air conditioned stadiums ? What time do the games run? Ronaldo will melt in the saudi sun if they play in the summer
 

RuudTom83

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He had a contract at United, plus an extra year. But his ego couldn’t accept a squad role.

Now he has to sit and listen to a team talk in the Saudi League every week…enjoy it Ronnie!
 

darioterios

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Lot of football fans embarrassing themselves. Extraordinary career which somehow managed to play out in top leagues til 37 is wild. Compare to Xavi going to a Qatar team at age 35 or Iniesta to Japan at 34. This should be neither surprise nor main story news outside the fact that the relationship with United broke down. And that's an old and worn story.
What is embarrassing about fans on a forum dedicated to their favourite club rejoicing at someone trashtalking their beloved team getting found out after all the big noises?
 

justsomebloke

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The whole point is for the last pay day, plenty of players have done it, for example Beckham and Bale. It's not sad, he'll be earning more money than he ever has before for a couple of years.

I don't have an issue with sportsmen chasing some extra cash their careers are really short and should make the most of it.
His net worth is about $ 500m. It's not like he now needs to think sensibly about his family and future, put footballing glory aside and focus on bringing home the bread and butter, with a bit left over for a rainy day.

Players like Pele and Beckenbauer actually needed to think that way, they didn't amass fortunes even as stars playing for top clubs in big leagues. Ronaldo really doesn't.

There's nothing wrong with star players winding down their careers in rich but subpar leagues once they no longer are at the required level. But if 8 weeks previously you went public with claims it's scandalous and utterly disrespectful that you weren't starting as a matter of course for a top club in the best league in the world, you look rather stupid.
 

Eddy_JukeZ

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He looks even more silly doing that interview now.

I don't get what went through his head doing that. What were his PR team doing as well?
 

Arruda

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Can't see him staying very long unless it's a deal of the sort that he's only there for games and some part-time training. As soon as the very modest western interest in that league he may cause fades out I expect his life to become very very boring.
 

TheNewEra

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Can't see him staying very long unless it's a deal of the sort that he's only there for games and some part-time training. As soon as the very modest western interest in that league he may cause fades out I expect his life to become very very boring.
Dubai isn't far away if he wants to chill
 

Mr Anderson

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What a stones. All of the offers from “top teams” in Europe, yet sells out worse than Messi to PSG. It’s a bitter end to a magical career.

Not even bothered to hit his social media channels with the move also says it all.
 

DRJosh

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Am I the only one who feels a bit sorry for him? Although I agree that ultimately his ego and stubbornness has led to a somewhat dismal end to his otherwise impressive career.
 

2mufc0

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His net worth is about $ 500m. It's not like he now needs to think sensibly about his family and future, put footballing glory aside and focus on bringing home the bread and butter, with a bit left over for a rainy day.

Players like Pele and Beckenbauer actually needed to think that way, they didn't amass fortunes even as stars playing for top clubs in big leagues. Ronaldo really doesn't.

There's nothing wrong with star players winding down their careers in rich but subpar leagues once they no longer are at the required level. But if 8 weeks previously you went public with claims it's scandalous and utterly disrespectful that you weren't starting as a matter of course for a top club in the best league in the world, you look rather stupid.
That's not the way things work though, you keep earning until you can't, you can't maintain the same standard of life while you are working after you retire.

As for the latter part i think it's being surrounded by yes people, I don't believe he has a genuinely good advisor around him. I totally agree he has handled it so poorly.
 

Eddy_JukeZ

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What a stones. All of the offers from “top teams” in Europe, yet sells out worse than Messi to PSG. It’s a bitter end to a magical career
Don't think Messi sold out. He wanted to stay at Barcelona.

Laporta slyly forced him out.
 

LARulz

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From a legacy stand point and criticism, he has shot himself in the foot

He could have joined this club freely I am sure from United if he wanted without torching himself and his reputation not just with us but general fans as an even bigger egomaniac. No European team clearly wanted him enough and so just went for a pay day (nothing wrong with that normally - just he made a song and dance about it)

If he really wanted to do the interview, do it after the world cup. Not assume you will have a 10/10 world cup and everyone lining up to sign
 

Isotope

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Pele "sold out" to New York Cosmos at 35 y.o.
Beckenbauer to New York Cosmos at 32.
Cruyff to LA Aztec at 31.

Just saying.