Real Madrid captain Nacho is convinced former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo's impact on football in Saudi Arabia will help transform the Saudi Pro League into one of the best leagues in the world.
Ronaldo, one of the greatest and most famous footballers in history, blazed a trail to the Saudi Pro League (SPL) last January when he signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Riyadh giants Al Nassr.
Since the 38-year-old Portuguese superstar arrived in the kingdom 12 months ago, the SPL has undergone a remarkable and ambitious transformation; backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which took majority control of the league's four biggest clubs, many high-profile players have made their way to Saudi.
Among the arrivals, Ronaldo has been joined at Nassr by former Liverpool and Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mane and ex-Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte, runaway league leaders Al Hilal recruited Brazilian star Neymar and Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves, champions Al Ittihad signed then Ballon d'Or holder Karim Benzema, and Al Ahli recruited Algerian forward Riyad Mahrez and former Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino.
Such emphasis on recruiting established stars is part of a wider plan to turn the SPL into one of the top five leagues in the world, as the SPL's director of football Michael Emenalo told The National.
The presence of Ronaldo, as both player and ambassador for the league, has been vital to increasing the SPL's profile, and Nacho believes Real Madrid's record goalscorer's impact has been "very clear".
“Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players in the history of the world," Nacho said ahead of Real Madrid's Spanish Super Cup final against rivals Barcelona in Riyadh.
"He was my teammate at Real Madrid, and his impact is huge wherever he plays. His impact on the Saudi League was very clear after he came, and many of the world's best players followed to the kingdom. The Saudi League in the coming years will be one of the best leagues.”
The new-look Spanish Super Cup, now involving four teams in a knockout format instead of the traditional one-off game, has been held in Saudi Arabia since January 2020 after a long-term deal was agreed between the Royal Spanish Football Federation and the kingdom. The only exception was in January 2021 due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Real Madrid, winner of two of the three Super Cups held in Saudi, advanced to the final by beating city rivals Atletico Madrid 5-3 after extra time and will meet Barcelona in Sunday night's final.
It presents an opportunity for revenge for Real, who were defeated 3-1 by Barca in last year's Super Cup final, and Nacho is confident his side will emerge from Al-Awwal Park victorious.
"[It] will be a very important day for us to win a new championship," the 33-year-old defender said. "We need this championship, and what happened last season is in the past. We have a perfect lineup, we are leading the league, and we are performing well in the Champions League, so we have no excuse not to win this championship tomorrow.
“We must give everything to win this championship. Barca is very strong as always, and history tells us this. It will be a strong blow if we lose the first championship of the season.”
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
The%20specs
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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NEW ARRIVALS
Benjamin Mendy (Monaco) - £51.75m (Dh247.94m)
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur) - £45.9m
Bernardo Silva (Monaco) - £45m
Ederson Moraes (Benfica) - £36m
Danilo (Real Madrid) - £27m
Douglas Luiz (Vasco de Gama) - £10.8m
Wonka
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SOUTH%20KOREA%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EGoalkeepers%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKim%20Seung-gyu%2C%20Jo%20Hyeon-woo%2C%20Song%20Bum-keun%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDefenders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKim%20Young-gwon%2C%20Kim%20Min-jae%2C%20Jung%20Seung-hyun%2C%20Kim%20Ju-sung%2C%20Kim%20Ji-soo%2C%20Seol%20Young-woo%2C%20Kim%20Tae-hwan%2C%20Lee%20Ki-je%2C%20Kim%20Jin-su%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMidfielders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPark%20Yong-woo%2C%20Hwang%20In-beom%2C%20Hong%20Hyun-seok%2C%20Lee%20Soon-min%2C%20Lee%20Jae-sung%2C%20Lee%20Kang-in%2C%20Son%20Heung-min%20(captain)%2C%20Jeong%20Woo-yeong%2C%20Moon%20Seon-min%2C%20Park%20Jin-seob%2C%20Yang%20Hyun-jun%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStrikers%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHwang%20Hee-chan%2C%20Cho%20Gue-sung%2C%20Oh%20Hyeon-gyu%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
RESULT
Arsenal 0 Chelsea 3
Chelsea: Willian (40'), Batshuayi (42', 49')
Getting%20there%20and%20where%20to%20stay
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Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
More from Aya Iskandarani
General%20Classification
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if you go
Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan v Juventus
Saturday, 10.45pm (UAE)
Watch the match on BeIN Sports
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
