Cristiano Ronaldo’s hopes of winning the Saudi Pro League title with Al Nassr were extinguished on Saturday night when Al Ittihad were crowned champions for the first time in 14 years.
Requiring one victory from their final two matches, the Jeddah club triumphed 3-0 at Al Fayha to secure the top-flight crown with one round to spare.
Nassr, second for the past couple of months and just about keeping pace with their title rivals, could only draw 1-1 at Al Ettifaq, confirming the Riyadh side will finish the season as runners-up. The 2022/23 campaign concludes on Tuesday.
Ronaldo, 38, was signed in late December in a hugely lucrative deal, with the expectation he would help fire Nassr to a first league title in four years. Nassr were top of the table when Ronaldo made his competitive debut, ironically against Ettifaq, on January 22.
However, despite scoring 14 goals in 16 league matches, the Portuguese forward will end his debut season without silverware. In January, Nassr lost the Saudi Super Cup to Ittihad, while in April they were eliminated from the King’s Cup semi-finals by Al Wehda.
Ronaldo, who joined Nassr having been released from his contract by Manchester United, signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with the Saudi club.
On Saturday, Nassr went behind just before half-time when Youssef Niakate scored from close range. Luiz Gustavo, the former Bayern Munich midfielder, drew his side level on 56 minutes, but even victory would not have been enough. Ronaldo was subbed off with six minutes remaining.
Speaking afterwards, Gustavo told Saudi channel SSC: “We expected to achieve the league, but unfortunately we did not achieve it, and now we need to think about the future.”
Ittihad, meanwhile, sealed a first domestic championship since 2009 – their ninth overall - on Saturday thanks to Ahmed Sharahili’s early strike and a double from former Al Jazira frontman Romarinho.
The team, who now qualify for the 2023 Fifa Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia, are managed by Nuno Espirito Santo.
Speaking immediately after the trophy was captured, the former Tottenham Hotspur manager said: “I want to thank the players and the fans for their support this season - everyone has worked very hard from the beginning."
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What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
THE BIO
Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist
Age: 78
Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”
Hobbies: his work - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”
Other hobbies: football
Favorite football club: Al Ain Sports Club
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
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Last 10 NBA champions
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
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It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
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