"Cristiano Ronaldo will miss a second straight game for Al Nassr amid his ongoing dispute with the Saudi Pro League. The 41-year-old was absent from the lineup for Friday's match against Al Ittihad, having also not featured in Monday's victory over Al Riyadh. Sources had told ESPN that Ronaldo planned on boycotting Friday's game after not receiving a guarantee that the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) will make changes regarding the Saudi Pro League club's management."
""The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: Every club operates independently under the same rules," the league said. "Clubs have their own boards, their own executives and their own football leadership. Decisions on recruitment, spending and strategy sit with those clubs, within a financial framework designed to ensure sustainability and competitive balance. That framework applies equally across the league."
"However, Al Nassr were expecting Ronaldo to take part in the fixture, sources had said. ESPN has reported that Ronaldo missed Monday's win due to his unhappiness with the the PIF's help for his club in the transfer window. Ronaldo saw his club's rivals Al Hilal, who are also 75% owned by the PIF, sign Karim Benzema, his former Real Madrid teammate, from Al Ittihad during the January window."
Cristiano Ronaldo missed two Al Nassr matches amid a dispute involving the Saudi Pro League and the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF). Ronaldo was absent for Friday's match against Al Ittihad and did not feature in Monday's victory over Al Riyadh. Sources reported he planned to boycott a game after not receiving a guarantee that the PIF would make management changes at his club and expressed unhappiness with PIF support during the transfer window. Al Hilal, also majority PIF-owned, signed Karim Benzema in January. The league stated that clubs operate independently and decisions sit with each club.
Read at ESPN.com
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