Cristiano Ronaldo vowed to Al-Nassr fans that the club will achieve great things during his time there. The superstar forward was unveiled by the club on Tuesday after completing his sensational move.
Ronaldo signed with the Saudi Arabian club after his contract with Manchester United was terminated by mutual consent in November. The 37-year-old is bullish about achieving great things in Asia.
He addressed the fans of Al-Nassr and said:
"I have watched several games of yours, you are really great and I knew that I will play with a group of great players. We will achieve great things together."
Real Madrid legend Ronaldo previously appreciated the club's vision and said that despite having various offers from different clubs, he wanted to join Al-Nassr.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner said after his transfer to Saudi Arabia:
"The vision of what Al-Nassr are doing and developing in Saudi Arabia, both in terms of men’s and women’s football is very inspiring. We can see from Saudi Arabia’s recent performance at the World Cup that this is a country with big football ambitions and a lot of potential."
Cristiano Ronaldo hit back at critics after his move to Al-Nassr
Cristiano Ronaldo has hit back at critics for saying that the move to Al-Nassr signaled that his career is coming to an end. The 37-year-old stated that the people who make such claims know nothing about football.
He told reporters (via GOAL):
"Many people speak and give their opinions but they really do not know nothing about football. As you know football now, probably the last 10-15 years it is different, all the teams are more prepared, more ready, So for me it's not the end of my career to come to [Saudi Arabia], that's what I want to change. So I really don't worry about what the people say."
European football is often considered the most competitive circuit in club football and there has been a trend of successful players moving to Asia in the twilight of their careers.
Ronaldo has now embraced a new challenge in his career as he looks to make his mark in Asian football.