Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United under a grey cloud just a few months after Erik ten Hag was appointed manager at the club.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner believes some people considered him ‘lost’ during the final weeks of his second Manchester United stint. It didn’t help that he spat his dummy out in a ‘reveal all’ interview with Piers Morgan.
Now, Ronaldo feels he has responded to those critics by scoring plenty of goals for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
The Portugal international has become an ambassador for Saudi football.
Speaking to Portuguese newspaper Record, Ronaldo reflected on the last 18 months of his career:
“I’m not surprised by my level as I know that I still have a lot of possibilities to offer,” Ronaldo said. “I know that I can provide a lot of goals for Al Nassr and the national team, so it was incredible on a personal level to score 54 goals.
“If you go back and see what happened at Manchester United and the national team, people actually considered me lost, but the truth is that I focused and had a great period of preparation for the new season with Al Nassr, me and the technical staff led by Castro.
“I think they were important in motivating me to have a great season, and it’s clear that I was surprised in that aspect, but it didn’t surprise me in winning. I know that I still have a lot of possibilities to offer, and I know that I can provide a lot of goals for Al Nassr and the national team, so it was incredible on a personal level.
“As you said, well, the 54 goals I scored, there may be those who say it’s easier because I’m in Saudi Arabia. But football professionals know that it is difficult to score goals, whether in Saudi Arabia or in Italy, Spain or Portugal.
“A goal is a goal. In a way, I feel even more proud to have beaten Haaland, Mbappé and Kane.”
Saudi Pro League better than Ligue 1?
Ronaldo has also said that the Saudi Pro League is a better standard of football than France’s Ligue 1.
Speaking at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, Ronaldo said (via The Guardian): “To be honest, I think the Saudi League is not worse than French league. I think right now we are better.”
https://twitter.com/StokeyyG2/status/1748403464844021904/video/1
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