You need Saudi League to reach 1000 goals — Ronaldo warned against strike

Former Premier League midfielder Stefan Schwarz believes that Cristiano Ronaldo’s rumoured strike is a mistake, as it could affect his ambitions of becoming the first footballer to score 1000 official goals.

As Pulse Sports reported, Ronaldo is unhappy with the PIF's financial management of Al-Nassr, especially when compared to rival clubs.

The superstar is said to be in a dispute over what he perceives as a lack of investment from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Portuguese newspaper A Bola cited a club source who claimed Ronaldo is frustrated with the PIF's handling of Al-Nassr's finances. The specific case of Karim Benzema’s transfer to Al Hilal is referenced as a point of contention for Ronaldo, with Al Nassr star believed to have protested against the strengthening of the Blue Waves.

Speaking in an interview with Boyle Sports, Stefan, who played for Arsenal and Valencia, argued that Ronaldo was better served resolving his issues with the leadership in the Saudi Pro League, as remaining in the division would improve his chances of reaching 1000 goals.

“Cristiano Ronaldo’s strike at Al-Nassr is strange to me; it would be easier for him to get to 1,000 career goals in Saudi Pro League than the Premier League,” he said.

“Could Cristiano Ronaldo still have an impact in a big European league? The Saudi Pro League is not bad at all. It’s quite competitive with some good players and it is improving too.

“Ronaldo still continues to score goals but of course it will be more difficult in the Premier League or one of the other top five leagues and he wants to break his record to score 1,000 goals, and that’s not easy no matter what league you are in.

“He is a tremendous professional. What he has done for football, it’s just insane with all the numbers, all the records he’s broken. He shows other players how to be a real pro with his approach to training, recovery, nutrition and his focus.

“But he is like any player with a contract. He has to perform. I don’t think anyone should say that they must be the most appreciated player. It all depends on your performance and while he has shown he deserves all the respect, his actions are strange to me.”

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 961st career goal in the victory against Al Kholood last weekend. He is now 39 goals away from reaching a landmark 1000 career goals, 111 of which have, so far, come while playing for Al Nassr.