The rumors from Cristiano Ronaldo to Al-Hilal to appear in their club World Cup campaign would have been completely 'counter-intuitive', the Chief Executive of the club emphasized in a new interview.
The Portugal Superstar is currently playing for Saudi Pro League rivals Al-Nassr, after he was signed at the end of 2022 for the club in the aftermath of his bitterly second Manchester United-Exit.
But since he moved to Saudi Arabia as the first in a wave of big money, daring name stars, the player has gone without major distinctions.
Ronaldo hinted at the end of the season that he would be looking for another team with the expiry of his £ 173 million a year in Riyad and shares a message on social media: “This chapter is over. The story? Still written. Thankful for everyone. '
Under a number of floating destinations, the name Al-Hilal, somewhat encouraged by FIFA president Gianni Infantino's daring claim that the 40-year-old could still pay at the club World Cup, despite the fact that his team did not qualify.
Al -Hilal, however, will be against Real Madrid on Wednesday in their first game of the tournament without the attacker in their something – something Executive Esteve Calzada described as always an impossibility.
“Normally we don't comment on the situations of players, especially because our name is always placed there, when a player or agent wants to negotiate a better deal with his club, or tries to move,” Calzada told BBC Sport.
'It has been a very strange transfer window, it is a very short period.
'You don't want to make a decision to think about this tournament that you have to go on for the next two or three years.
'As much as I respect Ronaldo as a huge player, as we all acknowledge, it is certainly completely counter-intuitively that you take the biggest player of your greatest opponent to play with you.
“Even more if it's just three to four weeks.”
Ronaldo had announced himself at the start of the month that he would not participate in the FIFAs Flagship Club Tournament, but emphasized that he had received a number of offers.
“It is almost decided that I will not participate in the FIFA Club World Cup despite receiving many invitations and proposals,” Ronaldo said reporters prior to his triumphant Nations League campaign.
“There have been conversations, contacts … But you have to think about the short, medium -sized and long term.”
Instead, the former Real Madrid star is considered a contract extension to keep him in Al-Nassr, where he insisted in December that he was still hungry to win trophies.
Calzada also opened the failed movement of his club for Captain Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United.
It is thought that the midfielder has been the subject of a striking range of £ 200 million from the Saudi Pro League outfit, but announced at the end of the season that he would stay with the Red Devils.
Fernandes had previously hinted that he would move for the well -being of the club against the background of worsening financial services on the transfer market.
“I can't confirm or deny that we have been interested in him,” Calzada continued.
'He is a big player, it fits with the profile of the player that we think would be good for Al-Hilal, just like many others. We do not remember contact with players because we feel they would say no to us.
'The names with which we are linked demonstrate the ambition of the club. We believe that nowadays we are all players to pitch all players (). '
Other striking names that are linked to the club during the current summer transfer window are supposed to include Liverpool's Darwin Nunez and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.