“Interest has largely fizzled out now" - Radio presenter claims it will take 'lot more' than Cristiano Ronaldo to change Saudi League

Radio presenter Chris McHardy, who works for Dubai Eye 103.8, has said that it would take a lot more than only Cristiano Ronaldo's presence for the Saudi Pro League to grow.

The 38-year-old left Manchester United by mutual consent in November to join Al-Nassr. McHardy, who's also a commentator for the United Emirates Pro League, told FourFourTwo about the superstar's arrival:

“It was a big deal for a couple of weeks, but interest has largely fizzled out now. The heavyweight European clubs retain a stranglehold on fans’ attention here. If the Champions League is on, that will still dominate – it’ll take a lot more than Cristiano Ronaldo to change that.”

Ronaldo joining Al-Nassr gave the Saudi Pro League a new found popularity. The league is now broadcast in 137 different countries across the globe. Fans also tune in to watch the Portuguese superstar whenever Al-Nassr are in action.

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Al-Nassr fan hails Cristiano Ronaldo's impact in league

Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival at Al-Nassr was surprising for many. During his career, the Portuguese superstar has only played for top European clubs. Hence, he was a bit taken aback when he joined Al-Nassr.

Nevertheless, one Al-Nassr fan said that while he was sceptical of the mega money signing, which sees Ronaldo earn £173 million per year, that's no longer the case. The fan named Al-Arrak told FourFourTwo:

“There’s no question in my mind that he’s raised the bar. I’ve watched Al-Nassr for a long time. I’ve seen managers and players come and go; too often it looked like players were just here to pick up a cheque, and, honestly, I feared that could be exactly the same with Ronaldo.”

He added about the five time Ballon d'Or winner:

"What I thought about Cristiano was a big mistake. He’s shown commitment, even from his first friendly. He’s still eager to win every game, eager to break records. You can see the emotion on his face. He wants to give everything and rewrite history here.”

Despite Ronaldo joining mid-season, Al-Nassr look set to go trophyless this season. However, given the Portuguese maestro's mentality, fans could expect him to drive Al-Alamy to trophies in the coming seasons.