The Al Nassr coach has revolutionized the Dakar field: why he compares Cristiano Ronaldo to Pelé and Messi’s chance in Arabia

The sun had already set, at 5.45pm, when the Dakar camp entered through the main gate. Rudy Garciacoach of Al Nassr, the new Portuguese team Cristiano Ronaldowho signed a contract with the Riyadh club a few days ago.

After visiting Sebastien Loeb, with whom he posed wearing an Al Nassr shirt with Cristiano’s number 7 on it, he gave 10 minutes to the international press.

“My goal is for Cristiano to have fun with us”he stated when asked about the star’s arrival, and made a historical analogy: “I compare Cristiano’s arrival in Arabia with that of Pele in the MSL, when he arrived at the Cosmos. Comes to revolutionize the Saudi championship”.

He was also asked about a possible arrival of Lionel Messi, something that was once speculated due to the Saudi relationship with PSG. García, of Spanish descent (who emigrated to France during the Spanish Civil War) was blunt: “This is neither the time nor the place to talk about relocations.”

After managing Lille, Marseille and Rome, he now has the big challenge in a league away from the great luminaries of world football, but with the magnet that generates Cristiano.

CR7’s jersey is all the rage in Saudi

The venue is not opulent, but it has already entered the new rhythm that having a registered trademark, such as that of Cristiano Ronaldo and his number 7 imprinted on the Al Nassr shirt, requires.

The fan store of the Riyadh club displays all the variety of shirts in its windows, both for owner and reserve, formation and goalkeeper, so that fans, tourists and the curious immediately take the precious star shirt.

Clarín was in the premises, decorated like a football stadium, with large paintings, images of the club and historical photos from its foundation to today.

Obviously, at the center of the scene, the T-shirts with the Portuguese written. Values? T-shirts with no name cost $70, while wearing one with Ronaldo’s stamp on the back costs $100..

A Saudi family took away 8 shirts, while an employee printed Cristiano’s name on the clothes. The venue manager was not allowed to mention the number of shirts sold per day, although it is estimated that the supply was 50 times more than before the goalscorer’s announcement to Al Nassr.

*Special Riyadh, Saudi Arabia