Football fans fear Al-Nassr manager Rudi Garcia may have already upset Cristiano Ronaldo due to comments made about Lionel Messi in a press conference last week.
Ronaldo has signed a two-year contract with the Saudi Arabian outfit.
The 37-year-old will earned a reported €200 million every year, making him the world’s highest-paid footballer. It’s one of the most lucrative contracts in sporting history.
Ronaldo had been expected to continue his career in Europe after leaving Manchester United. He told Piers Morgan during a controversial interview in November that he wanted to continue playing at the highest level.
But the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s options were limited following a disappointing showing at the Qatar World Cup.
Due to a lack of interest from clubs competing in the Champions League, Ronaldo eventually decided to accept Al-Nassr’s extraordinary offer.
Shortly before Al-Nassr confirmed Ronaldo’s arrival, the Saudi Arabian club’s current manager, Rudi Garcia, was asked about the potential deal.
It’s fair to say that his answer has caused a bit of a stir.
What did Rudi Garcia say about Ronaldo and Messi?
Per Marca, Garcia joked: “First I wanted to bring Messi from Doha.”
The Spanish outlet claim the French coach also said during the press conference: “I tried to bring Messi directly from Doha.”
A clip from the press conference has also gone viral on social media – and you can watch it here:
Garcia laughs after making the comment but taking into consideration how fragile Ronaldo might be at the moment, just a couple of weeks after Messi lifted the World Cup with Argentina to further cement his status as arguably the greatest footballer of all time, was a potentially tongue-in-cheek comment really the smartest move?
Let’s check out some of the reaction from social media:
When will Ronaldo make his Al-Nassr debut?
Al-Nassr moved to the top of the Saudi league table with a 1-0 win over Al-Khaleej on New Year’s Eve and there’s a chance that fans will see Ronaldo make his debut again Al-Tai on Thursday.
Ronaldo will then be desperate to make his presence felt when Al-Nassr face Al-Shabab in a top-of-the-table clash on January 14.
Source: givemesport
