Cristiano Ronaldo should be hailed for kick-starting the growth in Saudi Arabian football despite his recent outburst, Al-Ahli chief Rui Pedro has claimed. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star has been at the centre of a row with bosses this month.
He was reportedly left disappointed at the lack of investment in Al-Nassr, having believed that rivals have received more backing from the Public Investment Fund. That saw him pull out of the squad for recent games against Al-Riyadh and Al-Ittihad.
Ronaldo returned over the weekend as he played against Al-Fateh - a game in which he also scored his 18th league goal of the campaign. Al-Ahli sporting director Rui Pedro has now shared his take on the row and suggested that the veteran should be praised for his influence on Saudi football.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “All of us, me being Portuguese particularly, I have the utmost respect for Cristiano Ronaldo and all of the Portuguese nationals here in Saudi Arabia. It’s not my place to speak about the way he decided to make his point.
“I’m sure he has his own reasons. What I can say is that if we are all here today and if we are all here working in Saudi Arabia, most of the responsibility, most of the credit goes to Cristiano Ronaldo.
“He opened the doors to the rest of the World to Saudi Arabia. That’s the biggest compliment we can offer him
“What he’s been doing game after game, he keeps scoring, he keeps raising the numbers to unimaginable numbers.”
Pedro’s comments come after Saudi chiefs had issued a strong warning to Ronaldo about his actions. It read: "The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: every club operates independently under the same rules.
"Clubs have their own boards, their own executives and their own football leadership. Decisions on recruitment, spending and strategy sit with those clubs, within a financial framework designed to ensure sustainability and competitive balance. That framework applies equally across the league.
"Cristiano has been fully engaged with Al Nassr since his arrival and has played an important role in the club's growth and ambition. Like any elite competitor, he wants to win. But no individual - however significant - determines decisions beyond their own club.
"Recent transfer activity demonstrates that independence clearly. One club strengthened in a particular way. Another chose a different approach. Those were club decisions, taken within approved financial parameters.
"The competitiveness of the league speaks for itself. With only a few points separating the top four, the title race is very much alive. That level of balance reflects a system that is working as intended.
"The focus remains on football - on the pitch, where it belongs - and on maintaining a credible, competitive competition for players and fans."