“In Europe We Train More…”- Following a Trophyless Debut Season With Al-Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo Reveals His Biggest Challenge in Saudi Arabia

Cristiano Ronaldo has established himself as an icon not just in the world of soccer, but in the world as a whole. From the European leagues to the Middle East, Ronaldo is not afraid of stepping out of his comfort zone in search of new challenges. So, when he left the world of European soccer last year and decided to go play for the Saudi Arabian side, Al-Nassr, it made headlines around the world.

However, with Ronaldo being the emblem of success, one would expect the move to be rather smooth for the Portuguese striker. But in his first season with Al-Nassr, Ronaldo had to go through a trophyless campaign while also facing huge challenges on the pitch. But what was the “biggest challenge” he faced in Saudi Arabia?

Cristiano Ronaldo’s biggest challenge in Saudi Arabia

Cristiano Ronaldo recently sat down for an interview to discuss his biggest challenge since joining the side. In comparison to the Europe leagues which Ronaldo had been used to, a big challenge he had to face in Saudi Arabia was the difference in the training schedule. “Now I can mention just to be, maybe because in Europe we train more in the morning and here we are training in the evening or night”, said Ronaldo.

He then discussed the challenges that come with it to him personally as he pointed out that during Ramadan, the training hours started even later. “When you start Ramadan we are training at 10 O’clock in the night”, he added. For Ronaldo, this was a “strange” experience. “The experience, memories, situations, they are different,” the striker said. “I like to live that moments because you learn with that, with the cultures as well”.

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He concluded saying that it may be difficult, but it’s nothing he hasn’t faced before. His ability to take on the challenge of adapting to those differences and obstacles has shown just why Ronaldo remains one of the world’s greatest soccer players. Next season, hopefully, fans will see a different outcome as Ronaldo’s debut season with Al-Nassr was trophyless.

Cristiano Ronaldo ended the season trophyless

Al-Nassr, after signing a historic contract with Cristiano Ronaldo, was filled with promise. Unfortunately, the club didn’t live up to their expectations as they failed to win any trophies during the season. Ronaldo’s team first suffered a 3-1 loss in the Saudi Super Cup semifinals in January against Al-Ittihad.

Then came an unexpected 1-0 defeat at the hands of Al-Wehda in the King’s Cup semi-finals. Finally, on Saturday, any remaining hope for silverware ended when Al-Ittihad clinched the league title. And Al-Nassr finished second after a 1-1 draw with Al -Ettifaq. It will be interesting to see how Al-Nassr bounces back from this disappointing season. So far it looks like the team is making some big signings.

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Hopefully, next season is a little better as Cristiano Ronaldo continues his new journey. What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.