Cristiano Ronaldo indicated on Monday that he could leave Al Nassr after declaring that a “chapter is over” hours after the Saudi Pro League finished.
The 40-year-old Portuguese forward joined Al Nassr in 2022 after his contract at Manchester United was terminated, and his contract with the Saudi club ends this summer.
Ronaldo, who had previously claimed he was happy to finish his career in Saudi Arabia, has been locked in negotiations with Nassr with the expectation that he would stay.
But, after the club ended another disappointing season with a 3-2 defeat at Al Fateh, the veteran striker posted on social media: “This chapter is over. The story? Still being written. Grateful to all.”
Ronaldo scored his 25th league goal of the season in Monday's defeat to wrap up the SPL's Golden Boot, but with the team limping home in third place, they have missed out on qualification for next season's AFC Champions League Elite.
Last month they suffered a shock defeat to Japan's Kawasaki Frontale in the semi-finals of this year's continental competition.
A special transfer window runs from June 1-10 to allow the 32 clubs involved in the Fifa Club World Cup to sign players.
Al Nassr will not be at the tournament, unlike fellow SPL side Al Hilal.
But Fifa president Gianni Infantino claimed last week that there were teams interested in signing Ronaldo for the tournament.
During an interview with YouTuber and streamer IShowSpeed, Infantino said: “And Ronaldo might play for one of the teams as well at the Club World Cup. There are discussions with some clubs, so if any club is watching and is interested in hiring Ronaldo for the Club World Cup … who knows, who knows.”
Al Ittihad hold title party, Hilal claim second
A little jeopardy had been injected into the final round of SPL fixtures on Monday when Al Nassr won an appeal against Al Orobah for fielding an ineligible player during a 2-1 loss in March.
Al Nassr were awarded the win, which effectively relegated Al Orobah and moved Nassr into third, two points behind Al Hilal, meaning they travelled to Al Fateh in hope of snatching an ACL Elite spot.
That all fell flat, though, as Nassr twice threw away the lead. Ronaldo and Sadio Mane were both on target but Mourad Batna's 81st-minute equaliser and Matheus Machado's 96th-minute winner ensured Fateh finished the season with a win.
By that point, Nassr were probably aware that Al Hilal were cruising to a 2-0 victory over Al Qadsiah - and with it second spot in the table. Aleksandar Mitrovic's first-half penalty and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's strike finished the job for the manager-less Riyadh giants.
Eight points clear of Hilal were champions Al Ittihad, who finally got their hands on the trophy after their closing 1-0 win over Damac.
Steven Bergwijn scored the only goal for Laurent Blanc's champions before the festivities started in Jeddah.
Saudi Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal presented the silverware to captain Karim Benzema.
Earlier, club legend Ahmed Jamil carried the trophy onto the pitch in front of a packed stadium. It was Ittihad's 14th title and third in the Saudi Pro League era.
At the other end of the table, Al Okhdood staved off relegation with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Al Khaleej, with Al Wehda tumbling into the second tier after a 2-1 loss at Ettifaq.
Napoleon
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
McIlroy's recent struggles
Last six stroke-play events (First round score in brackets)
Arnold Palmer Invitational Tied for 4th (74)
The US Masters Tied for 7th (72)
The Players Championship Tied for 35th (73)
US Open Missed the cut (78)
Travellers Championship Tied for 17th (67)
Irish Open Missed the cut (72)
MATCH INFO
Asian Champions League, last 16, first leg:
Al Ain 2 Al Duhail 4
Second leg:
Tuesday, Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha. Kick off 7.30pm
The low down on MPS
What is myofascial pain syndrome?
Myofascial pain syndrome refers to pain and inflammation in the body’s soft tissue. MPS is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (connective tissue that covers the muscles, which develops knots, also known as trigger points).
What are trigger points?
Trigger points are irritable knots in the soft tissue that covers muscle tissue. Through injury or overuse, muscle fibres contract as a reactive and protective measure, creating tension in the form of hard and, palpable nodules. Overuse and sustained posture are the main culprits in developing trigger points.
What is myofascial or trigger-point release?
Releasing these nodules requires a hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure to release muscular shortness and tightness. This eliminates restrictions in connective tissue in orderto restore motion and alleviate pain. Therapy balls have proven effective at causing enough commotion in the tissue, prompting the release of these hard knots.
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Uefa Nations League
League A:
Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands
League B:
Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey
League C:
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania
League D:
Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
RACE CARD
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Turf) 2,200m
5.30pm: Khor Al Baghal – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Khor Faridah – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
7pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
7.30pm: Khor Laffam – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m
More on animal trafficking
The biog
Born: High Wycombe, England
Favourite vehicle: One with solid axels
Favourite camping spot: Anywhere I can get to.
Favourite road trip: My first trip to Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan. The desert they have over there is different and the language made it a bit more challenging.
Favourite spot in the UAE: Al Dhafra. It’s unique, natural, inaccessible, unspoilt.
