SPL: ‘Ronaldo Must Be Expelled, He’s Added Nothing’ — Al Nassr Legend Al-Harifi

Al-Nassr legend Fahad Al-Harifi has called for Cristiano Ronaldo to be expelled from the Saudi Arabian club, claiming the Portuguese captain has failed to provide sufficient value since joining the team.

Al-Harifi made the comments after Al-Nassr suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to United Arab Emirates side Al Ain in their opening AFC Champions League Elite fixture.

Speaking on the Saudi television programme “Doreena Ghair”, the former Al-Nassr star questioned Ronaldo’s continued presence at the club and argued that management should consider ending his time with the team.

“Ronaldo has not added anything to Al-Nassr and his presence holds no importance for the club, and he must be dismissed at the present time,” Al-Harifi said.

The Al-Nassr legend also argued that Ronaldo had not delivered major trophies for the club and questioned whether the team had gained enough commercially from his presence.

He further criticised the decision to continue relying heavily on the 41-year-old forward, particularly given the financial commitment involved in keeping him at the club.

According to Al-Harifi, Ronaldo’s individual ambitions, including his pursuit of 1,000 career goals, could be competing with Al-Nassr’s wider objective of winning major honours.

He also pointed to Al-Hilal’s decision to part ways with French striker Karim Benzema as an example of a club making a difficult decision when it believes a high-profile player is no longer providing the required contribution.

“Al-Nassr is bigger than Ronaldo,” Al-Harifi said, arguing that the club should prioritise its long-term interests over the status of an individual player.

Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in December 2022 after leaving Manchester United and has since become the club’s captain and one of the biggest names in the Saudi Pro League.

Despite his individual goalscoring record, Al-Nassr have faced criticism over their failure to consistently convert Ronaldo’s presence into major trophies.

The latest criticism comes after a disappointing start to their Asian campaign. Al Ain dominated the Champions League encounter, scoring four goals without reply and exposing defensive problems in the Saudi side.

Ronaldo failed to score during the defeat as Al-Nassr struggled to create clear opportunities against their Emirati opponents.

Al-Harifi’s comments have added to the debate surrounding Ronaldo’s future and the direction of Al-Nassr’s project as the club seeks domestic and continental success.

The criticism, however, represents Al-Harifi’s personal assessment of Ronaldo’s contribution rather than an announced decision by Al-Nassr management.