Ronaldo debate intensifies as Al-Nassr urged to follow Al-Hilal’s Benzema example

Sami Al-Jaber has urged Al-Nassr to consider a major change in attack after their 2-1 defeat by Al-Ittihad, using Al-Hilal’s decision to move on from Karim Benzema as an example.

The result at Al-Ittihad on Saturday ended Al-Nassr’s run of four consecutive victories and brought renewed criticism of their captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, who was unable to inspire his side to a positive result in the Saudi Pro League summit meeting.

Al-Jaber, an Al-Hilal legend, was responding to comments from former Al-Nassr player Hussein Abdulghani, who argued that Ronaldo had failed to make a decisive impact against Al-Ittihad.

Abdulghani also said Ronaldo could not remain at the top forever and suggested Al-Nassr should not continue to rely on him as an automatic starter in every match.

Al-Jaber said: “Why did Al-Nassr not think about signing a strong striker? This is the difference when we see how Al-Hilal dealt with Benzema, whose level had clearly declined. He was thanked politely and Ollie Watkins was brought in to lead the attack for Al-Hilal.”

He added: “The institution is more important than any name, and any player; because the club is what will remain, and we should not keep saying that Ronaldo is staying so that he can try to reach 1,000 goals.”

The comments prompted disagreement from Mohammed Noor, the Al-Ittihad legend, who insisted that Ronaldo’s position and importance to both the Saudi Pro League and Al-Nassr were not comparable with Benzema’s situation.

Noor said: “Cristiano Ronaldo’s status and value to the league and Al-Nassr are completely different from Benzema’s.”

Ronaldo’s latest appearance came as Al-Nassr suffered their first defeat of the campaign. They remain second in the table on 12 points, while Al-Hilal lead the standings with 15 points.

Al-Ittihad moved up to fourth on 11 points after beating Al-Nassr and maintained their unbeaten record in the competition.

The defeat leaves Al-Nassr looking to respond when they host Abha on Wednesday in their next Saudi Pro League fixture. Al-Ittihad will be in action on Tuesday, when they welcome Al-Fayha.

The discussion over Ronaldo comes against the backdrop of Al-Hilal’s decision to make a change in their own attacking line after Benzema’s form declined. Watkins was subsequently brought into the club’s forward options, a move Al-Jaber believes demonstrates the importance of prioritising the long-term interests of the team over the reputation of an individual player.

The contrasting views from Al-Jaber and Noor have added to the debate surrounding the role of high-profile foreign players in Saudi football, particularly after a result that stopped Al-Nassr’s winning run and left Ronaldo facing further scrutiny.