Despite Cristiano Ronaldo’s Persuasion, the Former Real Madrid Star Rejects Al Nassr Move- Reports

It’s hard to say no to a player like Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar’s influence mostly helps him sway toward what he wants. However, the unexpected turn of events saw CR7 as well as his domestic side, Al Nassr, reportedly get rejected by none other than former Real Madrid star Fernando Hierro to take over the sporting director role. 

The Riyadh side has been endeavoring to fill this void since December 2023, when their former employee, Goran Vucevic, departed. Despite their concerted efforts to go the extra mile in persuading the former Spanish coach to accept their long-vacant role, they suffered a significant blow, according to reports by journalist Jesus Hernandez and compiled by the X account, @X99i3.

Even though Hierro received a special request from Ronaldo to join him in the Saudi capital, the former Malaga chief rejected it. The 39-year-old knew what the Spaniard would have brought to the table. In fact, Ronaldo has previously worked with Hierro for a brief time. The former midfielder worked alongside Carlo Ancelotti as an assistant manager in 2014 for Los Blancos. However, it seems the current C.D. Guadalajara sporting director won’t be joining Ronaldo on a new endeavor, contrary to what was reported earlier. 

Reports indicated that talks were progressing positively between Hierro and Al Nassr. Furthermore, a final agreement was anticipated to be presented in the coming days. However, it appears that the negotiations fell through, leaving the Knights of the Najd empty-handed. Notably, no specific reason has been provided as to why Hierro allegedly turned down the Roshn League side. What is known, though, is that this isn’t the first instance of both Al Nassr and Ronaldo facing rejection.

Not the first time Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr received a cold shoulder

Earlier, Cristiano Ronaldo had put forward the name of Miguel Ribeiro for the sporting director role. Unexpectedly, the Portuguese star declined the offer from Al Nassr at the eleventh hour, a decision that reportedly led him to issue an apology to the club’s officials. The club had expected him to carefully evaluate the team before confirming the contract. Interestingly, Ronaldo wasn’t the only one endorsing Ribeiro.

Luis Castro also put forward a similar suggestion. If Ribeiro hadn’t turned down the opportunity with the Saudi Pro League side, he would have brought considerable expertise as a sporting director to Al Nassr, given his experience with various Portuguese clubs like Rio Ave FC and Famalicao. Nevertheless, it seems the trend continues for Al Nassr, who now allegedly faced a second rejection from Fernando Hierro. It remains to be seen how they manage to fill the void. 

READ MORE: Jose Mourinho’s Cristiano Ronaldo Reunion Quest Faces Hurdle as Luis Castro Declines to Leave Al Nassr