A former high-ranking member of Al-Nassr FC has criticized Cristiano Ronaldo, stating that "he does not compete for space with opponents nor participate in defense, making Al-Nassr play as if they are one man down." This individual also believes that Al-Nassr's chances of winning the championship were slim from the beginning of the season. Coincidentally, Al-Nassr currently ranks fourth in the Saudi Professional League, trailing the top teams, Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad Jeddah, by 11 points, making their title hopes bleak.
The reason given by this high-ranking official is straightforward: when Ronaldo is on the field, Al-Nassr effectively plays with one less player. This observation is clear to all fans, yet some prefer to ignore the obvious and blame the coach for the team's poor performance.
Recently, there have been rumors that Pioli is at risk of being sacked, a situation that feels familiar. In the first season after joining the Saudi league, without a championship, Rudi Garcia was dismissed. In the second season, Castro led Al-Ahli to win the AFC Champions League, but was also fired due to the lack of a regular-season title. Now, in the third season, the problem of not being able to compete for the championship still exists. Do you think this is related to the coach?
Firstly, before Ronaldo arrived, Al-Nassr had one fewer match played and led by five points in second place under Rudi Garcia. Castro, an experienced coach who had never been fired before, was let go by Al-Nassr because of his tenure with Mr. A. Now, it's Pioli's turn. Do you really think it's the coach's problem? Is it the coaching ability? Or is it as the high-ranking official of Al-Nassr said, "When he is on the field, Al-Nassr is effectively playing with one less player."
I feel that the high-ranking official of Al-Nassr is still somewhat conservative in his remarks. I won't say anything too harsh, as everyone tacitly understands. Therefore, the problem with Al-Nassr does not lie with the coach. I'll put my words here: if Mr. A remains with Al-Nassr, this team will never win the championship, no matter how many coaches are changed!
Recently, when I saw news from various self-media sources saying that Al-Nassr will renew with Ronaldo, offering a salary of 183 million euros plus 5% equity in the club, I just smiled without saying anything. Do you think they are foolish?