One of Cristiano Ronaldo’s new Al Nassr teammates has explained why the forward’s arrival is yet to have the positive effect on the team expected.
No one would have thought that Ronaldo would have moved to Saudi Arabia after leaving Manchester United in November, not even him by the sounds of it.
And so far it’s not exactly played out the way the five time Ballon d’Or winner might have expected, despite his two goals in a friendly against PSG.
So far he’s only managed the one goal in three appearances for Al Nassr, scoring a late penalty in their 2-2 draw against Al Fateh.
That came after games in which he failed to score or assist against Ettifaq or Al Ittihad, the first in the league and the second in the cup.
Before his penalty in the third game, the 38-year-old had managed to miss two absolute sitters, the kind of chances you’d have expected him to bury every time.
However, new teammate Luis Gustavo doesn’t believe the forward’s problems are all his own making, and believes the sight of Ronaldo is making all their opponents play better.
However, the former Bayern Munich midfielder does believe that the presence of Real Madrid’s all time top goalscorer is a benefit to the players, and the club.
“His presence at Al-Nassr gives a great advantage to the group because we learn from him everyday, given the great capabilities he possesses, both technically and physically,” Gustavo added.
“Cristiano Ronaldo was created for challenges and he always succeeds in them. And everyone here is waiting for what he will present.
“He has already scored his first goal and he therefore got rid of the pressure.”
The five time Champions League winner’s futute in the Middle East has already beenbrought into question by Al Nassr boss Rudi Garcia.
Garcia believes that Ronaldo’s future, and the end of his career, will be played out in Europe, despite the lack of clubs being interested in him after he left United.