CRISTIANO RONALDO
Former Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo accused of “very contemptuous attitude” by Al Nassr rival
The ex-Manchester United attacker’s behaviour after his team’s King Cup semi-final to Al Wehda didn’t impress opposition player and matchwinner Jean-David Beauguel.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence at Al Nassr has not yet led to much in the way of on-field success for his latest club. Last Monday, they lost to Al Wehda in the semi-finals of the King Cup, which was an opportunity for the former Real Madrid superstar and his team to bounce back from a league defeat to Al Hilal a few days earlier, which means the Saudi Pro League title is all but out of their reach. However, Al Nassr suffered a second successive loss and any chance of silverware this season now appears to be remote.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s attitude criticised by King Cup rival
Frenchman Jean-David Beauguel scored the only goal of the semi-final for Al Wehda and in an interview with L’Équipe in his homeland, was less than complimentary about the attitude shown by Ronaldo towards him: “I was a little disappointed. At the end of the game, I told him I was a big fan and asked for his jersey. He shook my hand without making eye contact and came across as very contemptuous. I kept quiet because I grew up admiring him. I still remember the videos I watched of him when I was in college. I understand that he was disappointed after the loss, that he is a great competitor, but I was surprised by his attitude. Even on the field, he was upset, yelling at his teammates”.
The benefits of the Ronaldo ‘brand’
Beauguel did, however, also have some praise for what the Ronaldo ‘brand’ was bringing to the Saudi Pro League: “Apart from the financial benefits, which are undoubtedly positive, I think it’s great for Saudi soccer. Saudis are big soccer fans. And his arrival may attract players of his calibre to want to play here. That would help with the development of soccer here, academies and training centres in particular”, he concluded.