Cristiano Ronaldo is a Real Madrid legend. There is no doubt about that. And one could argue that since he left Santiago Bernabeu, his career has been on a downward trajectory. The spell at Juventus was decent but the Turin-based club could not win the UEFA Champions League, which was their big target at the time. On the other hand, his return to Manchester United ended under the worst possible circumstances.
Manchester United let Ronaldo go after the release of his controversial interview with Piers Morgan. And that has raised questions over his legacy at Old Trafford as well, and how he will be remembered by the fans of the club.
Since then, Ronaldo has made a surprise move to Saudi Pro League club, Al-Nassr. Such a move would have seemed impossible not too long ago and has drawn its fair share of criticism as well.
Real Madrid boss, Carlo Ancelotti, has nothing but positive things to say to Ronaldo though. As reported by AS, the Italian manager said:
"“Cristiano is a great signing for Al-Nassr, we wish him all the best. The same goes for Bale, who retired yesterday. They will always be in the hearts of the Madrid fans.”"
Real Madrid boss sends beautiful message to Ronaldo
Ronaldo played some of the best football of his career under the management of Ancelotti, as the club secured La Decima during the Italian’s first stint at Real Madrid.
There were some rumours of the Portuguese icon making a return to Santiago Bernabeu for a second run as well, but it did not materialise and he ultimately has ended up joining Al-Nassr.
It remains to be seen how things will go for him there, but it is safe to say that he will be one of the highest paid sports figures in the world as a result of the move.
Ultimately, the fact of the matter is that Ronaldo is 37 years of age, and his form had started to dip in recent times. Thus, while he has received a lot of criticism, this kind of move is nothing new in the twilight of players’ careers.