Saudi Al-Nasr manager Rudy Garcia of France has revealed that the first appearance of his new team star, Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, in Saudi stadiums will not be in an Al-Nasr jersey.
A few days ago, Ronaldo signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Saudi Arabia’s Al Nasr in what is considered one of the most lucrative deals in football history since his departure from Manchester United. England.
The Portuguese international did not start with Al-Nasr due to a suspension imposed on him, as he was a Manchester United player, but his influence was already beginning to show off the pitch.
Garcia sees the deal as analogous to the late Pelé’s move to American Cosmos in 1975 after the Brazilian Santos’ storied career.
Garcia said in statements published by the French newspaper L’Equipe: “This is somewhat like a deal with Pelé, especially regarding the development of football, sports and culture in Saudi Arabia.”
He added: “Cristiano Ronaldo is more than just a player. He is one of the best players in the world. The attention our club has received is amazing. Now everyone all over the world knows where our club is.”
And he added: “Because of Cristiano joining, it was necessary for our number of followers to increase from 800,000 (on Twitter) to 10 million within a few hours or a few days.”
And he continued: “His first appearance will not be in an Al-Nasr jersey. The team will consist of a mixture of Al-Hilal and Al-Nasr players (Al-Nasr and Al-Hilal team match against ” Paris Saint-Germain”).)”.
And he added: “As the coach of Al-Nasr, I cannot be satisfied with this match. But it’s good for development to see and meet Paris Saint-Germain and its great stars.”
And he added: “We will have a championship match in three days. Maybe it would be better to rethink it in terms of the match schedule, but this is not a big problem.”
He continued, “We are leading (in the Saudi Arabian league) and we feel lucky. Winning the championship is difficult, but we are determined to do it.”
The King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh is expected to host a friendly match between Paris Saint-Germain led by Argentine star Lionel Messi and top players from Saudi Arabian clubs Al Hilal and Al Nasr. 19th of this month.
Source: agencies