The Portuguese striker's petulance is overshadowing his form at Al-Nassr, and setting a poor example for the next generation

“There are people out there who hate me and who say I’m arrogant, vain and whatever. That’s all part of my success. I am made to be the best,” Cristiano Ronaldo said in 2016 interview with Spanish outlet . “We cannot live being obsessed with what other people think about us. It’s impossible to live like that. Not even God managed to please the entire world.”

Portugal's favourite son has never been one for humility. No one really read that much into his attitude back then, though, as he was still at the peak of his powers in a Real Madrid team sweeping aside all-comers in the Champions League.

But eight years on, there is no question that Ronaldo's character flaws are outweighing his impact on the pitch. He said his "work in Europe is done" when signing a record-breaking contract at Al-Nassr in January last year, but really had nowhere else to turn after an acrimonious end to his second spell at Manchester United.

Since then Ronaldo has gone to great lengths to try and prove he remains relevant, completely contradicting his past comments in the process. It seems that, now, nothing is more important to the 39-year-old than how he is perceived by the public, and that narcissistic mindset is threatening to ruin the final chapter of his illustrious career.

Getty ImagesMissing the bigger picture

Ronaldo has been scoring for fun at Al-Nassr, and no one bettered his haul of 54 goals for club and country in 2023. The Portuguese took delight in outdoing "young animals" like Manchester City's Erling Haaland, and insisted he could still play on for another 10 years, but he's missing the bigger picture.

The Saudi Pro League is still a long way from being one of the top divisions in world football, despite the influx of European talent to the Middle East over the past year. Ronaldo's prolific output in the final third counts for little among the purists, who just see a once-great player stat-padding while pocketing obscene wages.

There would be nothing wrong with that, if he was still being a role model to the millions of youngsters that look up to him and could admit that Al-Nassr is just a place for him to wind down towards retirement. But Ronaldo seems to still genuinely believe he is the number one player in the game, and construes any suggestion otherwise as a personal attack.

AdvertisementGetty Images – Goal ARCourting controversy

Ronaldo netted his 22nd goal of the 2023-24 Pro League season from the penalty spot last Sunday, setting Al-Nassr on their way to a crucial 3-2 victory over Al-Shabab that keeps them within sight of Al-Hilal at the top of the table. However, after the final whistle, Ronaldo was too distracted by the home crowd to focus on celebrating the three points with his team-mates.

Al-Shabab supporters attempted to rile Ronaldo up with chants for his long-time rival Lionel Messi, and got what they wanted, with footage on social media showing the striker cupping his hand to his ear before making a lewd fist-pumping gesture in front of his genital area.

There appeared to be little doubt Ronaldo was motioning in the direction of the fans, and the Saudi FA subsequently launched an investigation, amid a fierce public backlash. Ronaldo was eventually punished with a one-game ban and 30,000 Saudi Riyals (£6,300) fine by an ethics and disciplinary committee.

The final verdict came after remarks from popular Saudi journalist Waleed Al-Farraj, who had urged the FA to make an example of Ronaldo – as reports. “Everything has limits, no matter how (much of a) star you are,” Al-Farraj said.

Getty'Used to it in Europe'

According to , Ronaldo explained his actions in an official statement. He is reported to have said: "I respect all clubs and the action in the shot expresses strength and victory and is not disgraceful, and we are used to it in Europe."

The sheer ignorance of that statement cannot be overlooked. Ronaldo is not in Europe anymore, and it is his duty to be aware of Saudi Arabia's conservative customs as a foreign national.

has reported that Ronaldo's gesture was seen as "immoral" by a country known for its strong religious beliefs, and he should consider himself lucky that he's not facing a much longer suspension. And to make matters even worse, it's not the first time that the former Real Madrid and Manchester United superstar has exhibited such childish behaviour in his first year in the Middle East.

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Previous escapes

Ronaldo was faced with more Messi taunts during Al-Nassr's 2-0 defeat to Al-Hilal in the Riyadh Season Cup final on February 8, and allowed his frustration to get the better of him again when making his way down the tunnel.

Al-Hilal supporters threw a team scarf at Ronaldo, which he then appeared to rub near his crotch before hurling it back in the direction it came from. There were no sanctions imposed after that incident, with the Portugal international getting the benefit of the doubt despite similar controversy in April last year.

After another loss to Al-Hilal, this time in the final weeks of the 2022-23 Pro League season, Ronaldo grabbed his crotch when trudging off the pitch, much to the outrage of Saudi lawyer Nouf Bint Ahmad. She described the gesture as a "crime that requires detention and deportation" in a post on social media, and Ronaldo was subjected to another investigation, before ultimately being cleared of any wrongdoing.

Al-Nassr even came out to defend their prized asset, saying in a quite frankly absurd official statement: "Ronaldo suffers from an injury. His challenge with Gustavo Cuellar, the Al-Hilal player, started with a blow in a very sensitive area. This is confirmed information. As for the fans’ explanations, they are free to think whatever they want.”

Julian Nagelsmann is on Borussia Dortmund's shortlist should they part ways with Edin Terzic, adding to a long list of suitors for the German manager.

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• Dortmund considering Nagelsmann as Terzic replacement
• Man Utd, Newcastle also interested in hiring
• Germany boss not guaranteed contract beyond Euro 2024

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The German manager is expected to be on the market this summer, after overseeing the national team at Euro 2024. His next job, though, has been a topic of debate, and Dortmund have now entered the race, according to .

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  WHAT JULIAN NAGELSMANN SAID

  In an interview with , the Germany manager spoke openly on his sudden sacking from Bayern Munich last March. "I was signed by Bayern with the proviso that I would change things,” he said. “There are clubs that give you time. Jürgen Klopp was at Liverpool for five years before he became champion there for the first time. Pep Guardiola only won the Champions League title with Manchester City after seven years. The coaches at Bayern Munich don’t get as much time to develop something."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Man Utd are yet to make a clear decision on the future of Erik ten Hag, but the former Ajax boss is in the hot seat after Sir Jim Ratcliffe completed a partial takeover of the club. Terzic's job, too, is under scrutiny, with Dortmund currently fourth in the Bundesliga.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR JULIAN NAGELSMANN?

  Nagelsmann's future seems to be up in the air, with a handful ofclubs chasing his hiring. His immediate focus will be the German national side, with friendlies against France and the Netherlands scheduled for the international break.

With something of a rebuild on the cards for Jesse Marsch and Leeds United this summer, one would expect a number of the 48-year-old’s first-team players to be moved onto pastures new in the upcoming window – in order for the American to raise funds for his own signings ahead of 2022/23.

One such player who looks certain to depart Elland Road is Helder Costa, the winger currently on loan at Valencia.

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The LaLiga side are reported to have a €20m (£16.5m) option to buy the Angola international, however, disappointing performances coupled with the January arrival of Tottenham Hotspur’s Bryan Gil have seen the £7.2m-rated forward’s minutes become extremely limited, with the latest updates from Spain suggesting that Los Che will not be taking up the purchase clause of the 28-year-old.

And, considering the fact that the player who Noel Whelan dubbed “negative” is reported to be earning a whopping £70k-per-week at Elland Road, in addition to the fact that Costa has ranked as the club’s second-worst and 10th-worst performer in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 Premier League campaigns respectively, it is unsurprising that reports are suggesting the Whites could look to move the player on permanently this summer.

Indeed, with an extremely inflated wage and failing to live up to his £16m fee, it would appear a wise move for Marsch to finally call time on the Angolan’s career at Elland Road.

Another player whose head could be on the chopping block at the end of the season is Robin Koch, the £13m 2020 signing from SC Freiburg.

The £15.3m-rated centre-back has struggled with both form and injury in 2021/22, making just 15 Premier League appearances, over which he has averaged a well below-par SofaScore match rating of just 6.54 – ranking him as Marsch’s sixth-worst player in the division.

These returns have seen the Germany international come in for criticism, with Danny Mills stating his belief that the 25-year-old could well find himself on the unwanted list as a result of failing to stake a claim in the starting XI:

“He hasn’t really found a position. He’s OK here, he’s OK there and he’s decent there. You don’t look at it and go, ‘he is playing centre-half’ or ‘he’s playing defensive midfield.’

“That is difficult for a player and also for a manager. Where does he fit in? Can the manager get somebody to do a specific job in that position who is maybe a little bit better?

“Sometimes being a utility player is great but it often means you are on the fringes. You are often second-choice in six or seven different positions.”

“The new manager will be looking to bring in two or three of his own players, players that he wants. If that means you have to get a couple out then so be it.”

And, with Koch also earning a quite considerable £46k-per-week at Elland Road, from his performances this season, it would not appear as if the player who Beren Cross dubbed both “horrible to watch” and “not good enough” is worth this outlay.

As such, it would seem as if moving Koch on – alongside Costa – could also be a smart move by Marsch, as not only would these exits free up room in the 48-year-old’s first-team squad, but it would also save Leeds a colossal £116k-per-week in wages.

AND in other news: Orta now plotting £20m Leeds bid for “unbelievable” talent, he’s better than Aaronson

An injury expert has now dropped a worrying Newcastle United claim on Ryan Fraser.

The Lowdown: Howe verdict

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of their 1-0 loss at home to Liverpool in the Premier League last time out, Eddie Howe admitted that he was not sure if Fraser would be able to play again this season.

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The former Burnley and AFC Bournemouth manager does not think that it is a serious injury, but it looks as if the Scotland international will struggle to get back into the team from now until the end of the campaign.

The Latest: Dinnery reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in both medicine and data analysis, has claimed that while Fraser’s injury is not extreme, it is ‘worse than we thought’ and just ‘serious’ enough to keep him out for the rest of the term:

“Howe always maintained that the setback for Fraser is only a minor issue.

“But if we are calling into question whether he might be out for the season, that might mean it is actually a more serious grade two problem.

“In the grand scheme of things it isn’t too major but it is worse than we thought and enough to keep him out for a few weeks.

“But Newcastle are safe and don’t really have anything to play for. There is no need to take any chances with any player but particularly Fraser.

“His hamstring problems go back to the beginning of December. He’s had tightness and cramping.

“So it’s about addressing those problems and making sure he is fully ready when he does come back.”

The Verdict: Blow

It certainly is a blow to Howe and his squad if they are to lose Fraser for the rest of the season.

The winger has been a key part of a turnaround that has seen the St. James’ Park faithful steer clear of the relegation zone, contributing two goals and two assists in the top flight since February and being a mainstay in the side (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, they will no doubt want to finish the campaign strongly, but losing Fraser makes that more difficult, especially considering that they have to visit the reigning champions on Sunday afternoon.

In other news, find out who may now be sold by NUFC this summer here!

Celtic welcomed a handful of Japanese players to Parkhead during the previous summer and winter transfer windows.

Back in the summer, the Hoops secured the signing of Kyogo Furuhashi from Vissel Kobe in a deal worth around £5m.

Then, in late December, the trio of Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Yosuke Ideguchi all moved to Parkhead to join Ange Postecoglou’s squad.

Looking ahead to the summer transfer window, which is set to open for business in the coming weeks, it seems as though history could be set to repeat itself at Lennoxtown in terms of Celtic’s potential plans.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Pete O’Rourke talked about the upcoming transfer window and the possibility of Postecoglou bringing in some more Japanese players to Parkhead.

The journalist and transfer insider said: “I think it’s definitely a market that’s served Celtic well in the last couple of transfer windows.

“The signings of Furuhashi, Hatate and Maeda have been key additions to the squad and have helped propel Celtic to the top of the Scottish Premiership.

“Postecoglou knows the Japanese market inside out, so he would be foolish not to look at it again and see if he can find players who can improve that Celtic squad.

“The big bonus with the Japanese market is that the signings are relatively cheap. There are not big price tags on these players, so it is something that would fit the Celtic remit as well.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Taking into account how Furuhashi has been a pivotal figure for the Hoops since his arrival by racking up 18 goals in 31 appearances across all competitions, this is a prime example of why signing players from Japan can be very rewarding.

As for the winter recruits, Maeda and Hatate have scored a combined 10 league goals between them, once again showing how successful the Hoops’ transfer business has been.

With all this in mind, it will surely be very pleasing for the Celtic fans to hear that Postecoglou may look towards Japan once again to bring some new faces to the club for next season.

If any new players walk through the door this summer, and if they can replicate the same sort of impact that the likes of Furuhashi, Maeda and Hatate have had in the current campaign, this would give the Hoops a great chance of being successful once again in 2022/23.

In other news: Postecoglou must now axe “appalling” and “pathetic” disaster duo, they’re bleeding Celtic dry

Former Premier League midfielder Danny Murphy has criticised Leeds United forward Rodrigo over one moment in the 4-0 defeat against Manchester City. 

The lowdown: Humbling loss for Leeds

The Whites ended up on the wrong side of a mauling at Elland Road despite being competitive in the contest for the most part.

Goals from Rodri, Nathan Ake, Gabriel Jesus and Fernandinho condemned Jess Marsch’s side to a defeat which leaves Leeds 17th in the Premier League, five points clear of Everton, who have two games in hand.

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Despite the heavy scoreline, the hosts were able to carve out opportunities to attack, although one pundit was less than impressed with the quality in the final third.

The latest: Murphy slams Rodrigo

Speaking live on Match of the Day (Saturday, April 30), former Liverpool ace Murphy slammed Rodrigo for his inability to find Raphinha and take advantage of a promising moment.

The 45-year-old fumed: “These are the moments you don’t get very often against the top sides. In the first half, they have quite a few of them. No awareness, don’t even think he knew he was there. Ends up being a poor shot.”

Overall the Spaniard lost possession 14 times (third-most of any Leeds player), misplaced nine of his 32 passes (28%) and was replaced on 83 minutes following a 6.60 rated display from Sofascore.

The verdict: Poor showing

Despite the calibre of opposition, this was a below-par performance from Rodrigo and his team-mates which leaves Marsch’s side fully embroiled in a relegation battle in the run-in.

The 31-year-old remains on six goals and one assist from 30 appearances this season in the frequent absences of Patrick Bamford, a far from fearsome tally from the versatile Spaniard. Indeed, criticisms like the one from Murphy might explain why goals have been so hard to come by for him, if he keeps making the wrong decisions in attack.

With fixtures against Arsenal and Chelsea up next, Leeds and indeed Rodrigo will have to learn from their squandered chances fast and capitalise on each and every one in order to ease their relegation fears.

In other news, find out what ‘phenomenal’ Leeds update has this injury expert wowed

Tottenham Hotspur could be looking to replace Lucas Moura with a big upgrade this summer, if recent reports are to be believed.

According to 90min, the north London outfit had scouts in attendance for Villarreal’s two-legged Champions League semi-final clash with Liverpool. It’s thought that they were taking a closer look at centre-back Pau Torres and winger Arnaut Danjuma.

The Yellow Submarines were defeated 5-2 on aggregate with the former featuring in both fixtures, and the latter only playing the first leg, missing the second through injury.

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After leaving Championship side AFC Bournemouth for Unai Emery’s side in a €25m (£21.4m) deal the summer, the six-time Netherlands international has enjoyed a standout campaign across both domestic and European competitions.

As per Transfermarkt, the 25-year-old has delivered a whopping 16 goals and four assists, which included goals as a centre-forward against Atletico Madrid, Valencia and Granada, where he bagged a hat-trick.

Danjuma has been one of Villarreal’s best-performing and most consistent stars, ranking fifth (LaLiga) and second (UCL) overall for average rating, whilst no player has found the net more times.

Currently valued at £45m, the enigmatic dynamo wouldn’t come cheap but he’d be a massive upgrade on the out-of-sorts Moura, that’s for sure.

The Brazilian winger has been usurped by Dejan Kulusevski in the pecking order under Antonio Conte, hardly a surprise given his poor returns of two goals and five assists in 31 league appearances.

Danjuma outranks the long-serving Spurs star in pretty much every attacking metric, as per FBRef.

In terms of shooting output, the Yellow Submarines sensation is managing 1.26 shots on target per 90, in comparison to Moura’s 0.83, whilst for expected goals and assists (excluding penalty kicks) sees the former Cherries man sit on 0.57 per 90, compared to the 0.35 put up by the Spurs ace.

Danjuma also manages 1.88 carries into the 18-yard box, way clear of Moura’s 0.84, on top of attempting more dribbles and receiving more progressive passes in the final third, also via FBRef.

Lauded as an “exceptional talent” by EFL pundit Clinton Morrison and “unbelievable” by former manager Jonathan Woodgate, it’s evident that Conte could secure a major upgrade on Moura with a swoop to bring Danjuma back to England.

Fabio Paratici and co must look to get this done during the off-season.

AND in other news, Paratici bargain: Spurs plot bid for “extraordinary” £45m titan, imagine him & Romero…

Rangers have been hit with a big injury setback over Ibrox gem Kemar Roofe…

What’s the latest?

The Gers centre-forward was not deemed fit enough to make the matchday squad for the Light Blues in their Europa League semi-final clash on Thursday night.

It had been reported by The Scottish Sun that Gio van Bronckhorst was expecting the striker to be available for selection, as the forward was winning the race to feature in the game before ultimately missing out entirely.

Van Bronckhorst will be fuming

The Gers head coach will be fuming because it is a frustrating setback for the Jamaican forward. If the initial Scottish Sun report is to be believed, that means Roofe suffered a setback ahead of the clash with RB Leipzig and it remains to be seen when he will be able to return.

Football Scotland reporter Mark McDougall dubbed it a “huge blow”, and that is what it may be for the Gers heading into the final few weeks of the campaign.

Whilst it did not have a major impact against Leipzig, as Rangers beat the German side 3-1, one swallow doesn’t make a summer. Indeed, the Gers had failed to score more than once in two of their three matches without Roofe prior to that game.

The 29-year-old has popped up with some important goals for the team throughout the season. Up there with the best of them was his match-winning strike against Braga in the second leg of the Europa League quarter-finals, with the attacker scoring twice in four European starts this term.

He has also caught the eye in the Premiership of late. The striker has four goals and one assist in his last four appearances in the league, taking him up to 10 goals in 21 outings in the Scottish top flight. This shows that he has the ability to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch with his knack for goalscoring, and that is why losing him is a big blow.

Rangers have the Europa League and Scottish Cup finals coming up this month, against Eintracht Frankfurt and Hearts respectively, and they will need as many of their best players available as possible to give them the highest chance of winning silverware.

Therefore, Van Bronckhorst will be gutted by this latest blow to Roofe and will surely be hoping that the ex-Leeds marksman can recover in time to feature in Seville.

AND in other news, Forget Lundstram: Rangers’ £5.4m-rated “absolute baller” got Ibrox “rocking” yesterday…

Former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie is ecstatic that six Hoops players have made it into PFA Scotland’s Team of the Year for 2021/22.

The Lowdown: Hoops dominate Team of the Year

The Hoops are on the verge of being named the new Scottish Premiership champions, taking a six-point lead with them into the final three matches of the campaign.

Celtic’s dominance has now been recognised, with the news that Cameron Carter-Vickers, Josip Juranovic, Tom Rogic, Callum McGregor, Jota and Kyogo Furuhashi are all named in the Team of the Year.

All six have enjoyed superb seasons, playing a huge role in Ange Postecoglou’s side being so close to title glory.

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The Latest: McAvennie reacts to news

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie couldn’t hide his delight at the news:

“I can’t believe it, if you told me six players would make it into the team of the year at the end of last season, I wouldn’t believe it. The team we had last year was rotten. In such a short time Ange has turned it around.

“If you look at those six, Juranovic, Jota, Kyogo and Carter-Vickers all came in this season. I can’t believe that. Four brand new signings all in the team of the season, it’s just, wow.

“That is down to Ange as well because he brought them in. He is the one to thank in all this.

“McGregor and Rogic have improved so much as well, all of them deserve it. I know it doesn’t really mean much but it’s just another sign for the incredible year we have had and hopefully it’s a good sign for the future.”

The Verdict: Richly deserved recognition

To see over half of the Team of the Year dominated by Celtic players is just reward for their efforts, with Postecoglou getting huge amounts out of his squad in his first season at Parkhead.

Carter-Vickers has been an influential figure on loan from Tottenham, averaging 4.1 aerial duel wins per game, while Rogic and McGregor have brought class and fight to the midfield.

Meanwhile, Jota has been another inspired loan signing, chipping in with 18 goal contributions in the league – nine goals and assists each – and both Juranovic and Kyogo have also done their bit for the cause at right-back and in attack, respectively.

In other news, Celtic are reportedly keen on selling one player this summer. Find out who it is here.

Wolves host Norwich City in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, with Bruno Lage’s men looking to end a run of five matches without a win whilst conceding ten goals in their last three games.

With the Canaries already relegated, Dean Smith’s outfit will be the ideal side for the West Midlands club to face for their final home game of the season – at least on paper, that is.

Although seriously unlikely, qualifying for Europe is still possible for the Old Gold, who sit five points behind seventh placed West Ham United with two matches to go.

However unlikely finishing higher than eighth may be, it will be vital that Lage’s men secure a positive result to sign off from Molineux for the season after a woeful couple of weeks which have seen a promising campaign turn slightly sour.

It is also an opportunity for the manager to give other players a chance in the starting line-up, with forward Hwang Hee-Chan ideally in line for a start.

Lage must unleash Hwang

The South Korean has endured a mixed first campaign in England, having joined Wolves initially on loan from RB Leipzig before making the move permanent in January.

Having scored five goals and provided one assist in 28 Premier League appearances, the 26-year-old has laid a platform to build upon going into next season. Moreover, those five goals make up 14% of Wolves’ tally of 36 this term, with Lage’s men scoring the fourth-fewest goals in the top flight.

Described by his manager as a “top player” whilst also being deemed to be someone who has “got everything” by pundit Ian Wright, Hwang has started just three of Wolves’ last eight matches, with game-time inconsistent for the South Korean. He had to make do with minutes as a substitute against Chelsea and Manchester City in the team’s last two matches.

Goals have been at a serious shortage of late from the Old Gold forwards, with Raul Jimenez scoring just once in his last 11 appearances, whilst Fabio Silva and Pedro Neto haven’t scored all season.

The latter has struggled to make an impression on Lage since returning from a serious knee injury and could be in line to return to the bench after a couple of starts.

However, the £26k-per-week centre-forward is also suffering from a lack of goals, with Hwang enduring an 11-match goal drought, having not scored since the 2-1 defeat at Arsenal in late February.

Therefore, being handed an opportunity to end that dry spell against the league’s bottom club in Norwich could certainly prove worthwhile in order to regain some confidence going into the summer and pre-season.

AND in other news: Wolves handed huge boost as early Norwich team news emerges, Lage will be delighted