Cristiano Ronaldo ends strike at Al-Nassr

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most high-profile footballers in the world, with five Ballon d’Ors to his name and 671 million followers on Instagram.

So, naturally, when someone of that profile protests, going on strike, people notice.

The former Manchester United attacker withdrew from training two weeks ago ahead of Al-Nassr’s clash with local rivals Al-Riyadh.

As such, Ronaldo not only missed that game but also their following fixture against Al-Ittihad.

Ronaldo’s reasoning for the strike action is understood to be against the unfair treatment of Al-Nassr by the Saudi Public Investment Fund which owns Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad

The feeling is that Al-Hilal has been allowed some major signings, whilst Al-Nassr’s transfer business has been neglected.

In response to the strike, the Saudi Pro League issued a statement, saying: “The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: every club operates independently under the same rules.”

They continued: “Clubs have their own boards, their own executives and their own football leadership.

“Decisions on recruitment, spending and strategy sit with those clubs, within a financial framework designed to ensure sustainability and competitive balance. That framework applies equally across the league.

“Cristiano has been fully engaged with Al-Nassr since his arrival and has played an important role in the club’s growth and ambition.

“Like any elite competitor, he wants to win. But no individual – however significant – determines decisions beyond their own club.

“Recent transfer activity demonstrates that independence clearly. One club strengthened in a particular way. Another chose a different approach.

“Those were club decisions, taken within approved financial parameters.”

However, despite these warnings from the league, Ronaldo is set to end his strike victorious as reported by A Bola.

The Portugal international is understood to be set to play against Al-Fateh next weekend, with one part of his protest being actioned.

Whilst the transfers were a major issue for Ronaldo, another was that payments due to Al-Nassr’s staff were being delayed.

Now, the Saudi club are understood to be actioning the payments, leading to Ronaldo ending his strike.