“It was a matter of loyalty” – Argentine coach confirms he rejected offer to become Cristiano Ronaldo’s manager at Al-Nassr after Rudi Garcia exit

Argentine coach Antonio Mohamed, who is currently the coach of Liga MX side UNAM, has claimed that he turned down Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr after Rudi Garcia was sacked.

The Saudi Pro League club recently parted ways with Garcia. The Frenchman was in charge for 26 games, winning 18, drawing five, and losing three. Under-19 coach Dinko Jelicic will be in charge of the team for the time being.

Mohamed has now revealed that he has had four discussions with the Riyadh-based club. However, he didn't want to break out of his contract with UNAM.

Mohamed told TV Azteca (via Mundo Deportivo):

"I had four talks with Al-Nassr , and just yesterday morning I arrived at the club and received a call from the CEO of that team, and he tells me that he loves me because they fired Rudi García Besides, it was a lot of money, I told him that I already had a commitment to Pumas, that it was a matter of loyalty. I would never leave one team to go to another. I fell here at Pumas for a reason."

Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, released a statement on his Instagram story after Garcia's dismissal.

The 38-year-old superstar wrote:

"A pleasure to have worked with you. I wish you all the best for the future."

Al-Alami are currently second in the league with 53 points from 23 matches. They trail league leaders Al-Ittihad by three points. A goalless draw against Al-Feiha saw Garcia's stint as manager come to an end.

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What's next for Al-Nassr and Cristiano Ronaldo?

Al Ittihad v Al Nassr - Saudi Super Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr will return to action on April 18 as they take on Al-Hilal in the Riyadh derby. Al-Hilal are the defending SPL champions.

However, they are currently fourth in the league with 46 points from 24 matches. Hence, the match is a must-win for both sides.

Al-Alami will once again rely on Ronaldo to produce the goods. The Portuguese has so far scored 11 goals and provided two assists in 11 matches across competitions.