The power struggle that brought Al Nassr’s universe to a standstill and left the football world on edge has come to an end: Cristiano Ronaldo has put an end to his period of protest and has already rejoined the team’s training sessions. According to the Portuguese outlet A Bola, the expectation is that the forward will return to the pitch next Saturday, February 14, to play against Al Fateh.
But what happened for Cristiano to return to action? To answer this question, we have to go back to the start of the Al Nassr captain’s strike. Alongside disagreements with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) over the unequal treatment of Saudi Arabia’s top clubs—exacerbated by Karim Benzema’s signing for Al Hilal—another key factor emerged that influenced his decision: the former Real Madrid star, in a show of leadership, included in his protest the delay in the payment of salaries to several employees of the Saudi club.
A Bola understands that Al Nassr’s board gave in to the Portuguese star’s pressure and, in recent hours, settled all outstanding payments to its employees. This gesture by Cristiano proved decisive in reaching a full agreement between the parties. The captain will return to play, although not yet for Wednesday’s Champions League Two match against Arkadag.
Cristiano will be back on the pitch next Saturday, February 14, against Al Fateh in the Saudi league. Another opportunity for the forward to boost his goal tally: he has 17 so far this season and wants more. At 41 years old, truly extraordinary.