Ronaldo out of Al Nassr squad? Ex-Benfica star reveals why | OneFootball

Cristiano Ronaldo was the big absence from Al Nassr's squad list. To everyone's surprise, the captain of the national team was left out of Jorge Jesus' options. However, the former Benfica coach did not remain silent and sought to explain his decision regarding the Portuguese star.

The Portuguese coach revealed that, together with the club's management, they decided that the national team captain will be rested in the matches that Al Nassr will play outside Saudi Arabia. The same situation had already occurred in Iraq, when the Saudis faced Al Zawraa.

Now in India, where they will face Goa FC, the former Benfica manager explained the reasons for leaving the national team's top scorer out: "Everyone loves Cristiano Ronaldo and he has many fans. We decided he would rest when we play outside Saudi Arabia."

However, Jorge Jesus acknowledged that the Al Nassr captain is a name that attracts crowds, but emphasized the importance of carefully managing the condition of the 40-year-old forward: "Everyone wants to see him, but we have to make choices and we chose to leave him in Riyadh to prepare for the next game."

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.