Al-Kholood defender William Troost-Ekong has insisted that Cristiano Ronaldo cannot win silverware on his own when asked about Al-Nassr’s lack of silverware since the latter’s arrival in January 2023. Troost-Ekong also paid homage to Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal for their success in recent seasons.
Cristiano Ronaldo made the bold decision to trade European football for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr. Many top stars followed in his footsteps soon after, including Neymar, Karim Benzema, and Sadio Mane, bolstering the league’s competition.
Unfortunately, Al-Nassr have been unable to find much success on the pitch since then. They have yet to win an official trophy, with Al-Ittihad (2022-23, 2024-25) and Al-Hilal (2023-24) winning the league title over the past three seasons.
Moreover, Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. were the only PIF-backed outfit not to win any trophies this season. Al-Ittihad won the title and the King Cup of Champions, while Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli won the Saudi Super Cup and the AFC Champions League, respectively.
In an interview with FlashScore, Troost-Ekong stated:
He added:
Cristiano Ronaldo has excelled for Al-Nassr over the years, recording 93 goals and 19 assists in 105 appearances across all competitions.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr have reportedly offered Luciano Spalletti a €18 million-per-season contract to replace Stefano Pioli as head coach, as per Motorcycle Sports. The latter is expected to join Serie A side Fiorentina after a disappointing debut season in charge of the Knights of Najd.
Spalletti helped Napoli win the 2022-23 Serie A title before replacing Roberto Mancini as manager of the Italy national team. However, the former struggled to impress and was sacked on June 8, 2025, following their 3-0 loss to Norway in a World Cup qualifier.
Luciano Spalletti could potentially return to management with Al-Nassr reportedly interested in acquiring his signature. Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. have allegedly offered the Italian a two-year contract.
Silas is a Liverpool supporter through and through and admires everything about the club – it’s history, culture, style of play, and all of its iconic players and managers. His favorite player is Steven Gerrard, who was also one of the primary reasons to get interested in football and support Liverpool.
Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Jurgen Klopp, who transformed the Reds from a mid-table club to Premier League champions. Liverpool’s fourth goal in their 4-0 win over Barcelona, scored by Divock Origi after the iconic ‘corner taken quickly’ moment from Trent Alexander-Arnold, holds a special place in Silas’ heart.
Apart from Europe’s top five leagues, he also follows Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League. When not writing, he indulges in reading, traveling, fitness and gaming.
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