“Exudes Energy as if a Saint”- Cristiano Ronaldo’s Drive to Be the ‘Best’ Earns Glowing Praise From Former Al Nassr Member

It’s very rare to see a former Barcelona player praise Cristiano Ronaldo. After all, the Portuguese superstar was the tormentor-in-chief of the Spanish club during his Real Madrid days. However, former Culer and scout Goran Vucevic is all praise for the 5-time Ballon d’Or winner. Notably, Vucevic who was Al Nassr’s sporting director from 2021 to 2023 spoke about Ronaldo’s elite mentality and what he does to be the best.

The Croatian revealed (translated by Google), “Cristiano Ronaldo wants to be the best at everything, and he speaks about it openly.” In his attempt to be the best, CR7 trains from morning to evening every day per Vucevic. Furthermore, he also raved about the legendary soccer star’s presence in the locker room. Vucevic explained, “When Cristiano Ronaldo enters the dressing room he exudes energy as if a saint had entered.”

This is not the first time the former Al Nassr director has sung praises in favor of CR7. In fact, he had previously hailed the Portuguese icon’s impact in the Saudi Pro League. Gucevic explained, “Cristiano Ronaldo is the father of the Saudi League because he opened the door for other players until the league became very important in the whole world.” After all, it was Ronaldo’s arrival that led to an exodus of European stars to the Middle East.

However, despite his admiration for the legendary attacker and the league, Vucevic ended his Al Nassr stint abruptly. He left on Christmas 2023 following a fallout with the club’s CEO. Per, reports, he left a WhatsApp message before his departure, the content of which is unknown. Vucevic’s departure meant Al Nassr was without a sporting director. Unfortunately, nearly 5 months after his exit, the situation is still the same.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr is still on the lookout for a new sporting director

Following Vucevic’s departure, Al Nassr’s first choice for the sporting director role was Miguel Ribeiro. Strikingly, he was recommended by both Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Castro. Having worked at Portuguese clubs like Rio Ave FC and Famalicao, Ribeiro seemed like the ideal choice. But, things took an unexpected turn as Ribeiro rejected Al Nassr’s approach. However, the Knights of Najd continued the search.

Soon former Spain Boss Fernando Hierro came to Al Nassr’s attention. Having worked with Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid, Hierro even received a special request from the 39-year-old. Despite the initial optimism, the latest news is that the former Spain boss too rejected a move to the Middle East. The Saudi Pro League ends next month and the transfer window opens later. The lack of a sporting director could seriously impact Al Nassr’s chances of strengthening their team. Hence, it will be interesting to see whom the Knights of Najd approach next.