Cristiano Ronaldo ‘Ends’ Strike After Two Demands Granted

The tone of reports hailing Ronaldo’s return date have been telling.

Cristiano Ronaldo sat out two matches for Al Nassr. | Mohammed Saad/Anadolu/Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly ended his boycott of Al Nassr matches after overdue salaries had been paid and his two sources of influence in the club’s hierarchy had their power restored.

Ronaldo sat out two successive games for the Saudi Pro League title challengers after he was supposedly left furious by the club’s lack of January investment. The sight of his former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema joining free-spending, leading leading Al Hilal proved to be the tipping point.

After seven tense days, it appears as though the strike has been called off. ESPN Brasil were the first to report that Ronaldo had been reintegrated into first-team training following the acceptance of his demands by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which has a majority stake in Al Nassr and Al Hilal.

One of the key issues supposedly raised by Ronaldo was the salaries owed to several members of Al Nassr’s staff—whether that be players, coaches or otherwise is not specified. These have since reportedly been paid up in full at the behest of the wealthiest soccer player on the planet.

Even more crucially—though not from a PR perspective—sporting director Simão Coutinho and chief executive José Semedo had their influence restored. The Portuguese pair, who both overlapped with Ronaldo at Sporting CP, were thought to have been stripped of their recruitment authority just before the January window which left Ronaldo so incensed.

Now back at the wheel, the duo can begin preparing for a summer transfer splurge which Ronaldo clearly has high expectations for.

---

When Will Ronaldo Return for Al Nassr?

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to be back in action this weekend. | Mohammed Saad/Anadolu/Getty Images

Al Nassr make the 3,700-mile round trip to Arkadag, Turkmenistan for the AFC Champions League Two on Wednesday but will do so without Ronaldo.

Jorge Jesus’s side have settled into a nice rhythm while robbed of their immobile frontman, winning their last two matches without conceding a goal. Former Liverpool forward and freshly crowned African champion Sadio Mané has been afforded a central role in Ronaldo’s absence, scoring in both fixtures while supported by João Félix from behind.

Rather than toss Ronaldo back into the setup for the grueling trip to Central Asia, multiple reports claim that the 41-year-old will be saved until Saturday’s league clash with mid-table Al Fateh.

---

Tone of Reports Aim to Change Mood Around Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo’s not been impressed and hasn’t hidden that fact. | Fayez NURELDINE/AFP/Getty Images

The widespread response to Ronaldo’s refusal to play for Al Nassr has been one of disdain. The influx of reports relaying the events invariably focused on his swollen pay packet, which many considered to be far too substantial to accept any tantrums over transfers.

The league as a whole certainly didn’t seem entirely impressed, as evidenced by the strongly worded warning sent into the public domain which stressed: “No individual—however significant—determines decisions beyond their own club.”

In response to this backlash, it’s convenient that news of Ronaldo’s return has led with his insistence on getting salaries paid for his colleagues. Portuguese outlet A BOLA took particular care to laud this stance. “This gesture of solidarity from CR7 was decisive for the positive outcome,” the report gushed, “proving that the captain was also fighting for the dignity of those who work daily in the shadow of the Riyadh colossus.”

Such was the reverence for Ronaldo in his own nation’s major sports daily, the same article repeatedly used the metaphor of white smoke appearing to signal Ronaldo’s final decision had been made, referencing the ritual enacted when a new Pope for the Catholic church is chosen. The cult of Cristiano rolls on.

---