Cristiano Ronaldo has recently been at the center of rumors linking him with a potential exit from Saudi Arabia. Amidst this speculation, the Al Nassr coach, Stefano Pioli, praised the Portuguese star, especially his work ethic and offered a glimpse of their relationship.
“If I arrive half an hour early, he’s there 25 minutes early. He’s always the first to get on the bus. He’s a perfectionist who demands a lot from himself and from others,” Pioli told Gazzetta dello Sports, as quoted by Goal.
In that sense, the Al Nassr coach reflected on Ronaldo’s role in the squad, and how they get along with each other. “He lives for the team, he helps, he advises. Sometimes I let him talk to the players. I can’t treat him like the others, but he’s intelligent and he respects his role and mine,” Pioli said.
Ronaldo, who is turning 40 in February, is still going strong on the pitch, and he is still ambitious about winning titles. “Al Nassr will try to win more titles, Champions League is something that I would dream to win for the club and also the league,” Ronaldo told Roshn Saudi League. “But the most important thing is to keep pushing and be professional,” he added.
Stefano Pioli, Al Nassr coach (Abdullah Ahmed/Getty Images)
However, according to previous reports from Marca, Ronaldo is considering not renewing with the Saudi team, depending on his success this season. What is clear, it is that Ronaldo is still motivated to continue his career.
Pioli compares Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic
In the same interview, Pioli also compared Ronaldo with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, whom he managed during his AC Milan stint. “They are different characters. Ibra was impetuous and had a dominant personality. Cristiano is a legend, he’s global, enormous. He has a thousand official goals in the back of his mind. He will score them, he’s not far off,” he told.
This season, Ronaldo has so far scored 16 goals and provided three assists in 19 appearances for Al-Nassr this season. Currently, he has scored 916 goals during his professional career.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Al-Nassr reacts during the AFC Champions League Elite match (Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
However, despite Ronaldo’s form, Al Nassr find themselves in the fourth spot of the Saudi Pro League table, so far. They have 25 points from 13 matches, trailing league leaders Al-Ittihad by 11 points.
Pioli’s side will kick off their 2025 on January 9. They will play Al-Akhdoud in an SPL home clash, aiming to narrow the gap at the top and capitalize on Ronaldo’s goal-scoring prowess as the season progresses.
