‘Had a Completely Different Image of Cristiano Ronaldo In My Mind’- Ex-Al Nassr Director Makes An Honest Confession

Despite enjoying mammoth fame as one of soccer’s all-time greats, Cristiano Ronaldo has attracted a lot of infamy over the years. Courtesy of his occasional on-field recklessness and outspoken attitude, Ronaldo has inculcated a ‘bad boy’ image. His recent elbowing of Al Hilal’s Ali Al-bulayhi and his outrage at Al Shabab fans have only fueled this notion. But is CR7 really a bad boy? Al Nassr’s former Sporting Director Goran Vucevic, who worked closely with the 5x Ballon d’Or winner, thinks otherwise.

Goran Vucevic served as Al Nassr’s Sporting Director from 2021 to 2023. Though he worked for less than a year with Cristiano Ronaldo, he still seems to cherish those memories. “Cristiano Ronaldo is a wonderful player and man. I had a completely different image of him in my mind until we started working together on a daily basis,” said Vucevic in a recent interview. It is unclear as to what image the Croatian executive had of Ronaldo. Perhaps he thought of the Al Nassr captain as a hot-headed senior player, given his outspoken nature. Otherwise, he might have considered the Portuguese captain a washed-up player since he is nearing 40.

Anyhow, Ronaldo has proven Vucevic wrong. He earned the executive’s admiration both as an individual and as a player. While the former Real Madrid star loses his temper occasionally on the field, he cheerfully lights up the mood in the locker room. Besides, CR7’s arrival in Al Nassr was crucial for Vucevic and other executives to engineer blockbuster deals for fellow European superstars. The 39-year-old himself played a crucial role in recruiting Alex Telles and Otavio to Al Nassr. Speaking of Ronaldo’s presence in the Al Nassr locker room, Vucevic once likened him to a saint.

Goran Vucevic’s previous grand praises of Cristiano Ronaldo

Vucevic has never looked back since Cristiano Ronaldo gave him epiphanic moments in the Knights of Najd camp. The ex-sporting director has candidly spoken about the energy CR7 instills in his teammates. “When Cristiano Ronaldo enters the dressing room he exudes energy as if a saint had entered,” said Goran Vucevic. As mentioned earlier, the Croatian executive is also thankful to Ronaldo for popularizing the Saudi Pro League.

“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,” Vucevic said once in an interview. From perhaps having certain prejudices against Ronaldo to realizing his greatness in person, the former Barcelona star Vucevic has had a full-circle moment with the former Real Madrid maestro. However, ending this beautiful equation, Vucevic parted ways with Al Nassr last year due to a fallout with its CEO. CR7 and Co. are still on the search for a new sporting director.