Former Espanyol coach Vicente Moreno has warned Al Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo about extreme weather conditions in Saudi Arabia, and speculated that he may have difficulty adapting to the new environment.
Cristiano Ronaldo made his official debut as an Al Nassr player in the first week of January. The Portuguese, who left Manchester United by mutual consent in November, has signed a two-and-a-half year deal with Al Nassr. It is believed that Ronaldo will earn around $200 million a year during his time at Al Nassr.
However, things are not going according to the will of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. In addition to the professional aspect, Ronaldo will also face many difficulties beyond his imagination and not easily adapt to the new football environment.
Coach Moreno, who currently leads Al Nassr’s rival in the Saudi Pro League, Al Shabab, recently spoke out about Ronaldo’s transfer. He warned the Portuguese striker about the summer weather in the Gulf, and confirmed that Ronaldo would have a hard time getting used to the evening training sessions.
Former Espanyol coach Moreno told The Athletic: “I’m curious to see how Ronaldo adapts to everything in Saudi Arabia. He will have to practice in the afternoon in the harsh climate. Remember in August, the weather falls around 50 degrees Celsius, so it’s definitely not possible to practice as usual.
That may not sound like a big change, but if you’ve had a specific workout routine over the course of your career, you can adapt. But with Ronaldo it is very difficult to adjust and sooner or later he will fail because he is not fit to play. I think sooner or later Ronaldo will pack up and leave here.”
Ronaldo has made two appearances for Al Nassr this season, winning one in the Saudi Pro League and suffering defeat in the Arab Super Cup. He still has not been able to score for his new team, proving that Ronaldo has many obstacles.
Before that, the Portuguese superstar was greeted like a king in Saudi Arabia. Mrsool Park was packed when he made his debut and the country has introduced a special law allowing Ronaldo to live with his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez even though he is not officially married. Besides, his Al Nassr teammates did not hesitate to welcome this superstar with open arms.
Despite being warmly welcomed, Ronaldo is unlikely to end his career here. According to coach Rudi Garcia from a different perspective than his colleague Moreno, the Portuguese international will return to Europe to end his career.
The French military leader told GOAL: “Cristiano Ronaldo is a positive addition to this team from Asia. Ronaldo’s ability is always very special as he can always find a way to take down defenders. He is one of the best players in the world. But Ronaldo will not end his career at Al-Nassr, he will return to Europe and I believe Sp orting Lisbon is where he ends up going.”
The Portuguese team Sporting Lisbon is where Ronaldo started his career before joining Man United and won many great achievements with many big European clubs that he passed. Going forward, Ronaldo’s Al Nassr will return to play with the Saudi Arabia Professional Football League clash with Al Fateh on February 3.
