Cristiano Ronaldo The Saudi Professional League said “individuals will not make decisions beyond their own club, no matter how important” amid a dispute over transfer fees.
The Portuguese superstar, who celebrated his 41st birthday on Thursday, is unhappy with Al Nasr’s lack of success in the January transfer window.
Sources told ESPN that Ronaldo plans to boycott the league for the second year in a row after failing to receive assurances that the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) would make changes to the management of the Saudi Professional League club.
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However, sources say that Al Nasr’s coach expects Ronaldo to play in Friday’s match against Al Ittihad, as he did not feature in Monday’s match against Al Riyadh.
Ronaldo is unhappy with PIF for failing to invest in the team over the winter while rivals Al Hilal (also majority owned by PIF at 75%) brought in his former Real Madrid team-mate. karim benzema From Al-Ittihad.
However, the league issued a statement Thursday night pointing to the independence of all clubs to manage their finances as they see fit.
“The Saudi Professional League is built on the simple principle that all clubs operate independently under the same rules,” a league spokesperson said.
“Clubs have their own boards, their own management teams and their own football leaders. Decisions about recruitment, spending and strategy are left to those clubs within a financial framework designed to ensure a balance between sustainability and competitiveness. That framework applies equally across the league.”
“Cristiano has been fully involved with Al Nasr since his arrival and has played a key role in the club’s growth and ambitions. Like any elite player, he wants to win. But no one, no matter how important, can make decisions beyond his own club.
“Recent transfer activity clearly shows that independence. One club strengthened in a certain way, another chose a different approach. Those were club decisions taken within the approved financial terms.”
“The competitiveness of the league speaks for itself. With only a few points separating the top four, there is a very strong competition for the title. This level of balance reflects that the system is working as intended.”
“The focus remains on football, on the pitch where it belongs, and on maintaining credible and competitive competition for players and fans.”
It is understood that transfer funds will come from player acquisition funds rather than from PIF.
The fund is primarily supervised by the Saudi Professional League, which provides funds each year according to the size of clubs, and the country’s big four clubs (Al Nasr, Al Hilal, Al Ittihad and Al Ahly) are all thought to have received roughly the same amount before the opening of last summer’s transfer window.
Mr. Al Nasr spent a lot of money during that period and brought in profits. joan felix and Kingsley Coman Furthermore, they have re-signed a new contract with Ronaldo until June 2027.
This is understood to have cost them much of their player acquisition funds until they receive their next cash before the 2026 summer window opens.
Al Hilal’s acquisition of Benzema involved separate funding from private investors, which Al Nasr may have wanted to do, but was unable to do so.
Despite uncertainty over his availability for Friday night’s game, Al Nasr published a glowing birthday tribute to their star player in Thursday’s X.
“The legend only grows. Your dedication, mentality and leadership move our dreams forward. Happy Birthday @Cristiano!” Al Nasr’s post read.
ESPN’s Bruno Andrade, Julian Lawrence and PA contributed to this report.