Officially, the Cristiano Ronaldo era at Al Nassr, with Saudi Arabian football still coming to terms with their superstar arrival, is up and running.
On Sunday night, one of the most recognisable athletes on the planet made his delayed debut for his new employers, captaining the Riyadh side to a 1-0 victory against Al Ettifaq at an excitable and expectant Mrsool Park.
It wasn’t quite the performance to match the pageantry, yet still it felt enough. Certainly, it hinted at more to come. There were stepovers and shots from distance, the obligatory free-kick off target, even an attempted overhead kick.
Maybe, there was a part to play in the game’s only goal. If Ronaldo didn’t glance Abdulmajeed Al Sulaiheem’s cross on to Anderson Talisca’s head right on the half-hour, then he definitely proved enough of a distraction to allow his teammate to strike.
Predictably, and as it was always going to be, Ronaldo represented the main attraction. Even before the concluding fixture on Saudi Pro League Matchday 14 had unfolded, Nassr declared on their ever-swelling social media that “starting today” more than 30 television channels would broadcast the contest worldwide. ESPN were cited in the United States; CCTV in China; Sky Sports and others in Europe. Channels in Africa, Albania, Thailand and Indonesia, too.
Adding to the sense of occasion, Fabrizio Romano, the world’s foremost social-media transfer guru, was in attendance, taking in the action from the VIP section.
For that’s what Ronaldo brings. Nassr have at times felt the centre of the footballing world since the five-time Ballon d’Or winner agreed last month to a two-and-a-half-year contract that is thought to earn him more than $200 million per annum.
Add that up for what Nassr hope will constitute his entire stay in the capital, and that’s about as many million followers as Ronaldo has on Instagram – more than any other person on the platform. Patently, he is more than simply a footballer.
It felt as much earlier this month at his official and frenzied introduction at Mrsool Park, or last Thursday, when Ronaldo captained an Allstar XI against Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain in an exhibition in Riyadh. Not to be outdone, Ronaldo scored twice then, collecting yet another the man-of-the-match award in a career full of them.
Three days on, the first chants of “Ronaldo” echoed around Mrsool Park long before kick-off and when the stadium was still sparely populated. The Nassr ultras, committed and no doubt canny enough to get to their seats early, waved their giant flags and called out for their new arrival.
When Ronaldo did emerge, for the warm-up and leading out his side, he was welcomed with a mighty roar. He clapped high above his head and, ever the pro, set about his drills.
His first touch in the match brought another swirl of noise, even if the ball was stuck below his feet, possession relinquished. A misplaced pass soon followed. Then encouragement from the Nassr faithful.
Ronaldo offered that, also, whenever a teammate overhit the ball, or a cross was misdirected; of those, there were a few. Still, Ronaldo clapped once more, or raised a thumb in appreciation.
On seven minutes, his shot from range was deflected for a corner. Later, he fell in the Ettifaq penalty area following a collision – of sorts – with rival defender Marcel Tisserand, but Ronaldo’s brief protest was correctly waved away.
On the half-hour, he rose as illogically high as he has for most of his career to meet Al Sulaiheem’s inswinging cross from the left and, while he appeared poised to head home, the ball was nodded into the Ettifaq net by Talisca.
Ronaldo looked to have, perhaps instinctively, claimed an assist with the faintest of touches, but the replays showed that might have been a mite optimistic. Not that anyone cared, really. Nassr were in front.
Before the half was out, Ronaldo fired a free-kick from 20-odd yards well over the Ettifaq crossbar, while an attempted back-heel elicited a few sarcastic screams. Even five-time Uefa Champions League winners aren’t immune to a bit of ridicule.
Never one to be deterred, the former Manchester United forward took aim at the Ettifaq goal at the beginning of the second half, only for his effort to be deflected for a corner.
Just before the hour, Ronaldo chased a ball over the top to the touchline and expertly picked out Pity Martinez with his cross. The playmaker’s sumptuous left-footed volley was superbly tipped over by Ettifaq goalkeeper Paulo Victor.
At one stage, Ronaldo tried an overhead kick, flinging the mind back to that Real Madrid goal at Juventus, but he failed to connect. With 12 minutes remaining, he left a defender on the floor with a feint before forcing Victor to block at his near post.
And that was as close as he came. Although some way from his vintage – he turns 38 in two weeks – Ronaldo appeared already the darling of the 22,862 watching on and plausibly the many million tuning in from afar.
Surprisingly, Mrsool Park was a little short of capacity, and Ronaldo was someway lacking of his burning-ember best, but you imagine there will be time for that.
In the end, Nassr went back to the top of the table. They remain in pole for a first top-flight title in four years. Brought by huge expense and the promise to send Saudi football stratospheric, Ronaldo should have more memorable nights than this.
Fifa Club World Cup:
When: December 6-16
Where: Games to take place at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi and Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain
Defending champions: Real Madrid
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
FA Cup semi-finals
Saturday: Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur, 8.15pm (UAE)
Sunday: Chelsea v Southampton, 6pm (UAE)
Matches on Bein Sports
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
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ENGLAND%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3EFor%20Euro%202024%20qualifers%20away%20to%20Malta%20on%20June%2016%20and%20at%20home%20to%20North%20Macedonia%20on%20June%2019%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EGoalkeepers%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Johnstone%2C%20Pickford%2C%20Ramsdale.%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDefenders%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alexander-Arnold%2C%20Dunk%2C%20Guehi%2C%20Maguire%2C%20%20Mings%2C%20Shaw%2C%20Stones%2C%20Trippier%2C%20Walker.%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMidfielders%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bellingham%2C%20Eze%2C%20Gallagher%2C%20Henderson%2C%20%20Maddison%2C%20Phillips%2C%20Rice.%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EForwards%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFoden%2C%20Grealish%2C%20Kane%2C%20Rashford%2C%20Saka%2C%20Wilson.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
