Revealing Ronaldo's record contract at Al Nassr

Ronaldo joined Al Nassr with a world record contract. Photo: Reuters .

In the Socrates Podcast broadcast on Radio 8 , Mr. Abdullah Hammad, CEO of Mahd Academy (Saudi Arabia), recounted the entire process of bringing the Portuguese superstar to the Saudi Pro League, a historic turning point that changed the landscape of Middle Eastern football.

Mr. Hammad said that the first contact with Ronaldo took place at the opening ceremony of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when CR7 was still wearing the MU shirt. "At that time, Ronaldo expressed interest in the project to upgrade the Saudi Arabian championship, turning it into one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world," Mr. Hammad shared.

On a later flight, Hammad had a conversation with Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, who was directly in charge of the plan to recruit Ronaldo. “The prince asked me if Ronaldo was really serious. I said '99%', and he replied: 'It must be 100%.' After that, we confirmed Ronaldo's determination through his statements about leaving MU," Hammad recounted.

Ronaldo changes Saudi Pro League. Photo: Reuters .

According to the CEO, the deal was finalized after a three-way discussion between Ronaldo, Prince Abdulaziz and Al Nassr representatives. CR7 then made it clear: "If you are serious, so am I."

Mr Hammad admitted that he was worried that the deal might fall through, but “the speed and level of commitment from all parties made things happen faster than expected.” He stressed: “Since Ronaldo arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabian football has completely changed.”

As Mr. Hammad predicted, the “Ronaldo effect” created an unprecedented wave in Saudi Arabia. After CR7 joined Al Nassr in early 2023, a series of world stars arrived in the Saudi Pro League such as Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez, Joao Félix, Marcelo Brozovic, Aymeric Laporte or Kingsley Coman.

Thanks to that, the Saudi League quickly reached international level, attracting the attention of global media and fans.

Ronaldo lost his breath and fell before the Al Ittihad defense. The Portuguese superstar showed signs of age when he fought with Al Ittihad defenders in Al Nassr's 1-2 defeat in the 1/8 round of the Saudi Arabian King's Cup.

Source: https://znews.vn/bat-mi-ve-hop-dong-ky-luc-cua-ronaldo-tai-al-nassr-post1598969.html