Al Nassr’s head coach, Jorge Jesus, emphasized the importance of adapting to their financial limitations in order to compete with high-spending rivals Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League.
Following a 2-0 victory against Al-Fateh on Saturday, which kept Al Nassr in contention for the lead, the match also marked the return of
Cristiano Ronaldo.
The captain had previously sat out two league matches as a
show of protest
against the lack of financial backing from the
Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund in the last transfer window, especially when compared to Al Hilal, who secured the services of
Karim Benzema, a former teammate from
Real Madrid.
Jorge Jesus, who previously managed Al Hilal, acknowledged, “I’ve experienced the advantages of being on the other side. Their financial power is significant. During my time there, I benefitted from it as a coach. It’s understandable. Al Nassr has different resources, and we need to compete at the top level.”
Having led Al Hilal to multiple titles, including the league and cup, during his second stint at the club, Jesus joined Al Nassr last summer with ambitious goals.
“My objective in taking this role was to bridge the gap between Al Hilal and Al Nassr with respect to titles and points,” he clarified. “We are gaining confidence in Al Nassr’s infrastructure, which is progressively balancing both the player roster and the off-field team that understands the challenges we face against opponents with greater financial means, though not necessarily better sporting capabilities.”
Ronaldo, now 41, has not secured any major silverware since joining Al Nassr in December 2022 after departing from
Manchester United.
– Ronaldo ends protest, scores shortly after returning for Al Nassr
– Cristiano Ronaldo goal tracker: Journey to 1,000 career goals
– Colombia’s Jhon Durán transferred to Zenit on loan from Al Nassr
He has been the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League for the last two seasons and currently sits second this season, just two goals behind
Ivan Toney of Al-Ahli.
Al Nassr is currently in second place, trailing Al Hilal by one point. “We’re in the championship race, just a point behind the leaders, something Al Nassr hasn’t accomplished recently,” he stated. “Previously, we finished 16 or 14 points behind the leaders. This year, we aim to break that pattern.”
“We believe we can compete for top positions until the season concludes.”