Al Nassr star Jaloliddin Masharipov has revealed how the team reacted to Cristiano Ronaldo being named captain right away after signing the richest contract with the club in December last year. Following his lucrative £175 million per year move to Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo was given the captaincy on a permanent basis and has worn it during each of his three games for the club so far.
In a controversial decision however, defender Abdullah Madu was stripped-off the honour of leading the team in order to hand in the armband to Cristiano Ronaldo. But Masharipov claims that the squad had no objections because as the collective feeling was that Ronaldo, who has led the Portugal national team as captain for over a decade now, was more than qualified for the position.
‘Strange if the rest of the players are captaining Cristiano Ronaldo’ – Masharipov on captain’s call
Cristiano Ronaldo has abundance of experience of donning the captain’s armband, especially with the national team. The 37-year-old has led the Selecaos for over a decade now, delivering his best years after inheriting the armband from the legendary Luis Figo. He has notched an all-time international record of 118 goal for his nation, while his utmost important achievements as their captain coming in 2016 and 2019 leading the team to EUROs and Nations League triumphs respectively.
It was a no brainer that Cristiano Ronaldo will be the one to lead Al Nassr as a result of being their best player. The club’s former captain Abdullah Madu too was apparently more than happy to take down his armband and roll it up through Ronaldo’s sleeves. The former Man United forward has since worn it in the club’s three games so far, leading them to a win, draw and defeat. Speaking of the armband episode, Masharipov told Sports.ru:
“It’d be a little strange if the rest of the players are captaining Ronaldo. We expected it. Our former captain willingly handed over the armband [to Cristiano Ronaldo] without any problems. I think this is the best solution. It cannot be otherwise.”
Furthermore, claims that the Portuguese superstar is receiving preferential treatment while other players were given the same degree of courtesy were also denied by Masharipov. Cristiano Ronaldo was stayed in the luxurious Kingdom Suite of the Four Seasons hotel in Riyadh with his family, friends, and security occupying a total of 17 rooms. Masharipov too had to give up his No. 7 jersey for Ronaldo, but the Uzbek midfielder has made it clear that he was delighted to pass on the jersey and has no regrets about doing so. He continued:
“When [Cristiano] Ronaldo arrived, many people spread rumours about my departure from the team, all kinds of false news came out. Before Cristiano’s arrival, many people asked me, ‘Will you give him the No. 7?’ How can you not give it?! He is Cristiano Ronaldo!’ Such players should always be respected!
“After giving my number, many people assumed that I would leave the team. I gave my number without any problem. There was no talk of leaving. Both the club and the coach wanted to see me in the team. I have a contract with the team. I only changed my number because Ronaldo came. This guy is one of the two best players in the world. There’s no need to talk much.”