Al-Nassr coach, Rudi Garcia, has claimed that forward Cristiano Ronaldo has improved the team despite failing to score in his debut for the club against Ettifaq on Sunday.
Garcia said that Ronaldo’s presence doesn’t guarantee an automatic win in the Saudi Pro League after Al-Nassr defeated Ettifaq, thanks to Anderson Talisca’s only goal.
Ronaldo, who was officially unveiled as an Al-Nassr player at Mrsool Park earlier this month, made his debut in a 1-0 win over Ettifaq over the weekend.
Analyzing Ronaldo’s debut after the game, Garcia told Reuters that he was impressed with the 37-year-old’s impact.
Garcia said, “It is a positive addition when you’ve a player like Ronaldo as he helps to distract the defenders, which is what happened with our goal.
“Today, we created opportunities for him and asked the players to diversify the game between him and Talisca, and we must not forget that he participated in the (exhibition match against) Paris St Germain and did not get enough rest.”
“Even with the presence of Ronaldo, it’s not easy to win the Saudi League because of … the strength of the competitors.”