Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Al-Nassr Availability Decision Ahead of AFC Champions League 2 Clash Against Arkadag

Cristiano Ronaldo’s strike at Al-Nassr has been a hot topic in Saudi Arabia and the world of soccer for the past week. The Portuguese superstar has missed two games and has now reportedly decided on the next match.

Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Decision on AFC Champions League Two Clash

Al-Nassr faced Al Riyadh and Al Ittihad last week in the Saudi Pro League without their club captain. The forward trained ahead of the matches but opted to go on strike against PIF and its handling of the club.

The former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward missing the matches did not affect the results, as Sadio Mane stepped up in both games. The Senegal star scored the lone goal in the win over Al Riyadh and added another from the spot against Al Ittihad before Angelo sealed the 2-0 win in injury time.

Al-Nassr will next face FK Arkadag in the AFC Champions League Two this week, and the availability of Ronaldo is still in question. According to a report by Abdulaziz Al-Osaimi, the Portuguese superstar is set to sit out once again.

“The legend Cristiano Ronaldo is committed to training, and his questions
found no answer. Some sources indicate that the legend informed some people of his non-travel with the team for the upcoming match. The legend’s position is clear,” Al-Osaimi said (translated from Arabic).

He has yet to end his strike at the club and will not be taking the trip to Turkmenistan. The forward is determined to resolve the issue with PIF before getting back on the pitch.

Reports in Portugal last week suggested that club staff had unpaid wages, and the club captain wanted them cleared before returning to the pitch. He also wanted PIF to distribute funds equally among all four clubs under its umbrella, rather than favor Al Hilal, which are now leading the table.

READ MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo’s Reported Demands To End Al-Nassr Strike After Issues With PIF Revealed

Meanwhile, clubs in Turkey are looking to take advantage of the situation and lure the forward away from Saudi Arabia. He has less than 18 months left on his contract, and they are keeping tabs on his situation and ready to pounce if he decides to leave in the summer.

Reports suggest he has a $59 million release clause in his contract, which was signed last year. Ronaldo has yet to win major silverware at Al-Nassr and has been pushing to get the best out of his teammates.

He reportedly wants the club to extend manager Jorge Jesus’s contract and hand control of the club to the CEO and sporting director in the summer, without PIF’s influence on key decisions.