The Saudi Sports Minister defends the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo: “It would benefit the country’s league”

BERLIN (GERMANY), 25 Nov. (STATS Perform/dpa/EP) –

The Saudi Arabian Sports Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, wished the arrival of the Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo to Saudi football as a “role model”, after the Portuguese was released after parting ways with Manchester United.

“Everything is possible. I would love to see (Cristiano) Ronaldo play in the Saudi league. It would benefit the league, the sports ecosystem in Saudi Arabia, and inspire young people for the future. He is a role model for many children and has a great fan base,” the minister said in statements to BBC Sport.

The Portugal captain finds himself without a team after mutually agreeing to terminate his contract with Manchester United, following his controversial interview with TalkSPORTS. Thus, he ended a second spell at the English club, from which he was already able to leave in the summer with offers from other teams.

One of them was from a Saudi club, and now the country’s sports minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, has endorsed the possibility of another transfer attempt. “The Premier is the most watched league in Saudi Arabia. There is a lot of interest and a lot of passion for football,” he commented, before assessing the entry of an investment group from the Persian Gulf into United or Liverpool, which they are looking to sell.

“We will definitely support him if some (Saudi) private company comes in, because we know that will reflect positively on sports within the kingdom. If there is an investor willing to do it and the numbers are showing, why not?”