Cristiano Ronaldo fumed at team-mates after losing the Saudi Super Cup final

 

Inside Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr crisis: Big-name team-mates want out, right-hand man Ricky Regufe can't build a champion team... and results are hurting the £175m-a-year star

• Cristiano Ronaldo fumed at team-mates after losing the Saudi Super Cup final
• Poor results and a lack of silverware is hurting Portuguese icon at Al-Nassr
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When Cristiano Ronaldo prodded home the opener in the Saudi Super Cup final on Saturday, wheeling away to the corner flag to perform his signature celebration, he must have felt he was on course to lift his second trophy with Al-Nassr.

But fast forward an hour and Ronaldo's hopes of silverware were in tatters. Al-Hilal put his side to the sword with a ruthless second half performance, consigning Al-Nassr to a woeful 4-1 defeat ahead of the new Saudi Pro League campaign.

Ronaldo's reaction to his team-mates after the fourth and final goal painted a picture. As the ball hit the back of the net and was sent back towards him on the centre circle, the 39-year-old superstar ridiculed his team-mates with a gesture suggesting they had fallen asleep, almost refusing to shoulder any responsibility for the disappointing defeat himself.

Despite blazing the trail for superstars to ditch Europe and move to Saudi Arabia on lucrative contracts, with his unprecedented £175million per year deal in January 2023 still the highest in football history, his time in Riyadh has not brought about as much success as he would have hoped.

Winning the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023 is the only honour Ronaldo has been able to add to his impressive portfolio of silverware in recent years, and the unrest currently surrounding Al-Nassr suggests he wouldn't be lifting more anytime soon.

Meanwhile, Aymeric Laporte — who with Mane cost Al-Nassr north of £50m combined — has been flirting with a move to Real Madrid after lacking silverware since his exit from serial Premier League champions Manchester City. 

Ricardo Regufe, Ronaldo's trusted right-hand man tasked with building a champion team around him, is failing to convince high-profile players to join the Portuguese while Al-Nassr struggle to keep current ones on their books. 

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has reportedly turned off the splurge of financial support it initially offered when Ronaldo first moved to the club, and now all operations must be approved by it. 

While Ronaldo's contractual wishes are likely still to be met by the club, other big-name players may feel uneasy about Al-Nassr's changing financial situation, especially as most are entering the swansong seasons of their respective careers.

For now, it is believed Ronaldo is fully committed to the Al-Nassr project, even if results and a lack of trophies are hurting him.