Man Utd flop makes XI Saudi team of the season as Cristiano Ronaldo brutally snubbed
Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Saudi club Al Nassr in January, has been left out of the Saudi Pro League’s team of the season.
Instead, Odion Ighalo, on loan from Manchester United, has been chosen as the leading striker.
Ronaldo’s move to Al Nassr came after his contract with United was terminated following a controversial interview with Piers Morgan, in which he openly criticized the club and their new manager, Erik ten Hag.
Despite scoring 14 league goals in 16 appearances and finishing as the fifth top scorer in the league, Ronaldo was not selected for the season’s team.
Ronaldo was overlooked in favor of Ighalo, despite Ighalo’s lack of scoring success in the Premier League during his loan stint with Manchester United. Ighalo’s selection was based on his impressive performance of scoring 19 goals in 27 appearances for Al-Hilal. He was joined in the forward line by Firas Al-Buraikan, who scored 17 goals in 30 games, and Mourad Batna, who netted 10 times in 25 appearances.
The midfield featured Luiz Gustavo, formerly of Bayern Munich, alongside Romarinho from Al-Ittihad and Kaku from Al-Taawoun. Ahmed Hegazi, a former defender for West Brom, was named as one of the center-backs, partnering his Al-Ittihad teammate Ahmed Sharahili. The full-back positions were taken by Madallah Al-Olayan and Ghislain Konan, while Marcelo Grohe, a Brazilian international, was chosen as the goalkeeper.
Reflecting on his debut season in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo expressed his enjoyment at Al Nassr and expressed his belief that the Saudi Pro League has the potential to become one of the best leagues in the world.
🇳🇬 @ighalojude leads the line 🦅
— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) June 7, 2023
5⃣ players from the champions @ittihad_en 🟡⚫️
Here's your #RoshnSaudiLeague Team of The Season presented by @OptaAnalyst 🔢 pic.twitter.com/ynZgxDcQC8
“I am happy here, I want to continue here, I will continue here,” he said earlier this month. “And in my opinion if they continue to do the work that they want to do here, for the next five years, I think the Saudi league can be a top five league in the world.
“I will be part of your world, your culture, I will be here, I hope I make the people enjoy through my games, my performance, and to win things, but again, thank you for welcoming me, and I will try to give my best during the time that I will be here.
“I like to do what I do. My passion is to play football. I have played it for many, many years but it is still a joy for me. My motivation is to play and to make people happy. To make myself happy, my family happy and all the kids happy. This is my goal.”
Man Utd flop makes XI Saudi team of the season as Cristiano Ronaldo brutally snubbed i
