https://dailypost.ng/2025/07/20/no-player-should-be-given-absolute-power-al-sheikh-slams-al-nassr-over-ronaldo/
Ronaldo is known from the early days of his career to have had some level of influence on his clubs and national team. He sometimes influences the players and coaches that the club management hires. This is also the case in Al Nassr. It is believed that he was behind the sacking of coach Stefano Pioli and the replacement with Jorge Jesus. He also used his reputation to influence the sacking of the club's CEO Majed Jamaan Al-Sorour and he also made sure the club replaced him with his close friend Jose Semedo.
Former Saudi Arabian Football Federation Spokesman, Mohammed Al-Sheikh, has frowned at this excess power given to the Portuguese captain. Al-Sheikh appreciates Ronaldo's positive contributions to the SPL but he thinks that his powers should have limits.
What about everyone should be treated more or less the same? Ronaldo's privilege should not be about making personnel decisions, it is about the money he is being paid from his employers and sponsors and customers. He is leveraging he public power to disempower others. While I am not into the details for a good reason as we will never know what is really going on, I think it is wrong to believe that Ronaldo can do anything because he is Ronaldo. That is not how it should be. Every player has to accept decisions made by management or coaches. It applies to Ronaldo and it applies to others. What does not apply to Ronaldo is reasonable payment. That is where he is above everyone else and not just by 5 million, but by 150 million and more.