"At the expense of other players" - Former SPL coach Hossam El-Badry clears the air on speculations of Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al-Ahly

Hossam El-Badry has responded to rumors linking Cristiano Ronaldo with a move to Al-Ahly. The legendary Portuguese forward is in the final year of his contract with Al-Nassr and has been tipped to leave the Saudi Pro League outfit.

Ronaldo joined the Riyadh-based club in January 2023 after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar following the termination of his contract with Manchester United. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has been impressive since his arrival, scoring 74 times and providing 18 assists in 83 appearances.

However, El-Badry cast doubt on his side signing the football legend, saying (via Yalla Shoot):

“If Cristiano Ronaldo comes, it will be at the expense of other players."

The legendary forward is the most prolific player in the sport's history, with 915 professional goals. The Portuguese is in the final stretch of his career and looks set to end a fabulous career soon.

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"He’s a strong personality" - Cristiano Ronaldo tipped to pursue a career in management

Former Manchester United first-team coach Rene Meulesteen has tipped Cristiano Ronaldo to pursue a career in management at the end of his career. The Portuguese superstar is one of the greatest players to ever play the game.

Ronaldo has played for some of the greatest managers in the history of football, playing under luminaries like Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti. In an interview via Goal, Meulensteen said:

"He’s a strong personality, that’s for sure, and opinionated. I’m sure that he has been a big figure in teams as he has grown older. I only know Cristiano when he was coming into the seniors as a young, upcoming, growing player that made a massive impact. There were other leaders in the team, but he has grown to become a leader and lead from the front – scoring important goals and all that."

"Whether he has got that ambition to become a manager, I don’t know. Maybe. Would he like to manage Portugal in the future? I would probably say yes because he’s so passionate about representing Portugal. I could see him wanting that."

Meulensteen concluded:

"In international football, coaching is so limited due to the lack of time that you have got. It could be something that is well suited to him."

Cristiano Ronaldo has not expressed an interest in heading into management at the end of his playing career. The Portuguese legend will decide if he will take his expertise to the dugout sooner rather than later, with the forward in the twilight of his career.