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Riyadh (AFP) – A few hours after the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo signed a contract with Al-Nasr Saudi Arabia, Abdul Mohsen Al-Aiban accompanied his son on Saturday to his favorite club’s store in Riyadh to print the name of the legendary player on their club’s yellow shirts, which ran out of shelves before midday.
Al-Aiban, 41, and his 9-year-old son, Nayef, were among hundreds of supporters ecstatic about the historic deal that was announced after midnight on Friday for two and a half seasons, estimated at more than 200 million euros.
It is expected that Ronaldo will arrive in Saudi Arabia and be presented to the fans next Thursday, according to an official in the Saudi club, on condition of anonymity.
The club, nicknamed “Al-Alamy” in Saudi Arabia, has not yet released the shirts of the 37-year-old player, but the fans began to print his name and his distinctive number 7 on the club’s shirts.
“We are witnessing a historic moment,” Al-Aiban told AFP, while two printing machines were working non-stop in the club’s official store in Riyadh, in front of a long line of enthusiastic fans.
And the man, who wore a traditional dark dress, continued with enthusiasm that the deal “will raise the value of the Saudi League and its follow-up,” which is a belief held by many in Saudi Arabia, which seeks to host major sports tournaments, especially the 2030 World Cup.
“I always hoped that the best player in the world would join the victory,” said his son Nayef, who had Ronaldo’s name printed in blue on his shirt for 115 riyals ($30).
“I will make sure that I attend all the matches at the stadium,” he added happily.
– Unprecedented demand –
For Saudi Arabia, the Ronaldo deal adds a lot of luster to its sporting reputation internationally.
The deal fueled the patriotic fervor that rose after the Kingdom defeated Argentina 2-1 in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup, an astonishing and unexpected victory considered one of the biggest shocks in the history of the tournament.
Even before the official announcement of CR7’s joining, Al-Alamy supporters flocked to the club’s store, as soon as the news was leaked to the local press on Friday evening.
Store manager Abdelkader, who looked exhausted, reported that fans queued outside the store on Friday evening.
The team’s yellow shirts were sold out in all sizes, and the spare shirts were also running out, forcing fans to bring their shirts to have Ronaldo’s name printed on them. A process that could take two days due to the “unprecedented demand”.
“The volume of sales and printing is fantastic. I’ve never seen something like this here in my life,” Abdel Qader said.
An enthusiastic and festive atmosphere surrounded the club store, as fans exchanged congratulations and wishes for titles for the club, which won the Saudi League for the last time in 2019.
The turnout is not limited to the Saudis only, as there were Egyptians, Lebanese and Chinese fans of the five-time Golden Ball player.
University student Mohammed Al-Juhani, 23, said, “I have been encouraging Ronaldo since childhood, and now the club that I encourage in Saudi Arabia bought him… My joy doubles.”
“I will be the first person at his presentation ceremony,” the fan continued, expressing his frustration that he had to wait two days to get Ronaldo’s name printed on his shirt.
In turn, Rakan Muhammad (21 years), who wore the yellow victory shirt, believes that “the deal proves the value of Al-Nasr Club,” noting that “the enthusiasm is high and the expectations are great” among the Al-Nasr fans, who are still looking for a first title in the AFC Champions League.
– ‘A dream we couldn’t imagine’ –
One day before his signing, Ronaldo’s great impact appeared on the Saudi Al-Nasr accounts on social media.
The club’s tweet announcing Ronaldo’s inclusion was seen on Twitter more than 60 million times, while the number of the club’s followers on Instagram increased nearly six times, from 800,000 to 4.5 million followers.
Ahmed Al-Zahrani, 19, said, “The effect of the deal appeared early, even before Ronaldo arrived in Saudi Arabia and played one minute.”
He added, “The deal is a dream that we could not even imagine … and its impact will appear with time.”
However, a sportswear store in Mecca wrote on Instagram, “The dream has come true,” accompanied by a video of Ronaldo’s name being printed on the yellow victory shirt in the holy city for Muslims.
Comments poured in immediately, with fans asking to have shirts fitted to their sizes.
A Saudi user wrote on Twitter, commenting on the image of Ronaldo holding the victory shirt, “a picture of history.”
Talk dominated the deal in all circles in Riyadh, even among Al-Hilal fans, the traditional rivals of Al-Nasr.
Al-Hilal fan Turki Al-Qahtani, 39, told France Presse, near the Al-Nasr store, “I am in trouble. I adore Al-Hilal and I adore Ronaldo … I do not know how to act.”
© 2022 AFP