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Al-Nassr FC fans were filled with extreme joy after the club's official announcement of Cristiano Ronaldo's move to the Saudi Pro League outfit. Thousands of supporters were seen chanting Ronaldo's name in Al-Nassr's league fixture against Al-Khaleej.
Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Saudi Arabia's top flight comes after a complicated exit from Manchester United. The Portuguese superstar had a great fallout with manager Erik ten Hag, which started with his refusal to come on as a substitute in a Premier League fixture.
Ronaldo then featured in an explosive sit-down interview with Piers Morgan, in which the Portugal captain let out his frustration. He hit out at Manchester United's owners (the Glazers), Ten Hag, former manager Ralf Rangnick, former teammates Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville.
Ronaldo's contract at Manchester United was terminated as a result of a mutual agreement. The 37-year-old forward has now secured a free transfer to Al-Nassr that will see him earn close to $200 million per season, inclusive of salary, incentives, and commercial deals (as per CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs).
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner seems to have received a warm welcome at his new club, as thousands of fans echoed his name throughout the Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium.
The chant was sung loudly by Al-Nassr supporters during their league fixture against Al-Khaleej, which they won 1-0, thanks to an early goal from Cameroon international Vincent Aboubakar.
Fans singing Cristiano Ronaldo's name can be seen in the video below:
"There’s an element of sadness" - Gary Neville reacts to Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al-Nassr
Manchester United legend Gary Neville is saddened that his former teammate will no longer be playing in Europe's top leagues.
The Englishman stated that he believed Ronaldo would stay in Europe and play at the highest level for at least another season.
Neville told Sky Sports (via Manchester Evening News):
"For Cristiano Ronaldo, I thought he’d want to stay in this season at least in Europe, score more goals and try and find a Champions League club so it tells me that the offer is staggering and maybe the club he wanted in Europe didn’t come in for him that he wanted."
He added:
"There’s an element of sadness for me because we’re not seeing Cristiano Ronaldo at the top level, something we could’ve seen at Old Trafford if things had been dealt with properly but that had to come to an end and close before the World Cup."
Following the announcement of his move, Ronaldo will now be available for selection in Al-Nassr's upcoming league fixture against Al-Ta'ee on January 5. It remains to be seen whether the Portuguese superstar will make his debut for his new outfit.
