Cristiano Ronaldo starting could cost Al Nassr, says former Saudi international Ahmed Ateef

Former Saudi international Ahmed Ateef has warned that Al Nassr could lose against the country’s leading sides if Cristiano Ronaldo is selected in the starting line-up, despite the Portugal captain scoring in Friday’s 4-0 victory over Al Riyadh.

Ronaldo began the second-round Roshn Saudi League match on the bench and was introduced after an hour. He then found the net as Al Nassr completed a convincing win and moved top of the league table.

However, Ateef said Ronaldo’s current physical and technical level meant he should not start in the club’s upcoming matches, particularly against the strongest opposition.

“It is natural for Ronaldo to score after coming on because the match was almost over, and the coach should not start him in the coming games,” former Saudi Arabia midfielder Ateef said on the television programme Dourina Ghair.

He added: “Ronaldo’s technical and physical level has declined considerably, and starting him, especially in major matches against Al Ahli, Al Hilal and Al Qadsiah, will cause Al Nassr to lose.”

Ateef argued that Al Nassr would need a different approach when facing the leading teams, with intense pressing and compact defensive positioning required to limit their opponents.

“Against the strong clubs, Al Nassr needs to press and close down the spaces. Ronaldo is no longer able to do these things, so Al Nassr effectively plays with 10 players,” he said.

The former Saudi international believes Ronaldo could still be selected from the start against teams battling relegation or clubs in mid-table, but claimed his presence in the starting XI would have a damaging effect against the title contenders.

“Ronaldo can start against clubs competing to avoid relegation or those in mid-table, but against the big teams he will cause Al Nassr significant damage,” Ateef said.

Ronaldo, who joined Al Nassr in December 2022, was brought on with the score already heavily in his side’s favour before completing the victory with his goal. The result kept Al Nassr at the summit after two rounds of the competition.

Ateef stressed that his assessment was based solely on footballing considerations and was not intended as a personal criticism of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

“My comments about Ronaldo are purely technical and I do not intend to offend him, but this is the truth. I believe 70% of Al Nassr fans agree with me,” he concluded.