Ateef questions Ronaldo’s role in Al Nassr’s biggest Saudi league tests

Ahmed Ateef says Al Nassr should avoid starting Cristiano Ronaldo in major matches, despite the Portugal forward scoring in Friday’s 4-0 victory over Al Riyadh.

Ronaldo came on as a substitute after an hour and found the net as Al Nassr secured a commanding win in the second round of the Roshn Saudi League. The result moved Al Nassr to the top of the competition.

However, former Saudi Arabia international Ateef believes Ronaldo’s contribution was made easier by the state of the match when he entered and warned that selecting him from the beginning against stronger opponents could damage Al Nassr’s chances.

“It’s natural for Ronaldo to score after coming on because the match was almost over, and the coach should not start him in the coming matches,” Ateef said while appearing on the television programme Dorina Ghair.

He added: “Ronaldo’s technical and physical level has declined considerably, and starting him, especially in the big matches against Al Ahli, Al Hilal and Al Qadsiah, will cause Al Nassr to lose.”

Ateef said Al Nassr would need a different approach when facing the leading sides, particularly one based on pressing and restricting space.

“Against strong clubs, Al Nassr needs to press and close down spaces, and Ronaldo is no longer able to do these things. Therefore, Al Nassr effectively plays with only 10 players,” he said.

The former Saudi international believes Ronaldo could still start against teams battling relegation or clubs in the middle of the table. But he argued that the forward’s inclusion from the first whistle against the biggest sides would create a serious tactical disadvantage.

Ateef said: “Ronaldo can start against clubs competing for relegation or those in mid-table, but against the big teams he will cause great harm to Al Nassr.”

His comments came despite Ronaldo making an immediate impact from the bench against Al Riyadh. Al Nassr’s four-goal victory was enough to send them to the summit of the Roshn Saudi League, while Ronaldo’s goal added to the attention surrounding his role under the club’s manager.

Ateef insisted his criticism was based solely on footballing considerations rather than a personal attack on the former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward.

He concluded: “My comments about Ronaldo are purely technical and I do not intend to offend him, but this is the truth. I believe 70% of Al Nassr supporters agree with me.”

Ronaldo’s next challenge will therefore be viewed not only in terms of whether he scores, but also whether Al Nassr decide to use him from the start when they face the league’s leading opponents.