Cristiano Ronaldo has touched down in Saudi Arabia after penning a bumper two-and-a-half-year deal with Riyadh based club Al Nassr. The 37-year-old had his contract terminated with former side Manchester United, after he slammed then publicly in an explosive interview with Piers Morgan, also calling out the owners, the Glazers family for holding back the club’s progress.
While at the World Cup in Qatar with Portugal, Ronaldo became a free agent before kickstarting his side’s campaign against Ghana. The Selecao captain however found some solace after a disappointing tournament in the middle-east, with Al Nassr swooping him on the biggest contract of €200m-per-year any athlete has ever signed. But problems haven’t ended there, as Ronaldo could face problems from the Saudi authorities for his relationship with long time partner Georgina Rodríguez.
Cristiano Ronaldo could be prohibited from living with Georgina under the same roof
Cristiano Ronaldo was presented in front of the Saudi media and Al Nassr fans for the time on Tuesday since signing his mega-deal. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has penned a deal with the Saudi outfit which will keep him at the club until the summer of 2025, and see him pocket the highest wages any footballer, or an athlete has ever earned through a €200-per-year deal.
However, even before Ronaldo makes his debut for his new club, which again got delayed due to a pending suspension from his time at United, the veteran striker has a handful of personal matters to look after of. According to Saudi state rules, an unmarried couple is prohibited from living together, under the same roof in the country. Two Saudi Arabian lawyers, who are well informed about the rules, told SPORT:
“Although the laws still prohibit cohabitation without a marriage contract, the authorities have begun to turn a blind eye and do not persecute anyone. Of course, these laws are used when there is a problem or a crime. The Saudi Arabian authorities, today, do not interfere in this matter [in the case of foreigners], but the law continues to prohibit cohabitation outside of marriage.”
This will come a some reassurance for Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez, who are looking to settle in the new country. Although the two have been in a relationship for six years now, and have two children together, it appears they are not legally married. This posed a threat to their cohabitation in Saudi where laws are very much strict over such matters.
However, after all its ‘Cristiano Ronaldo’, for whom the country’s one of the biggest clubs have paid the world’s highest wages to acquire his services and convince him to reject offers from Europe, America, Australia and Brazil to join them. The global superstar could hence be excused from the compulsion and Al Nassr even may have made the required legal arrangements before his touching down in Saudi.