Saudi Pro League: Al Nassr vs Al Ittihad! Ronaldo boycotts match vs Benzema leaves team, who suffers more?

Today, our first topic isthe Saudi Pro League: Al Nassr vs Al Ittihad!

This match is quite intriguing.

Both sides have lost their key stars; Al Nassr has Ronaldo boycotting, and Al Ittihad has Benzema transferred.

Ronaldo’s boycott is directly related to Benzema’s transfer.

It’s odd—why would Ronaldo be concerned about someone else’s move?

Because Ronaldo has never won the championship in Saudi Arabia; over the years, he only won the unexpected Arab Club Champions Cup. Now Benzema joined their biggest rival, Al Hilal? The opponent is stronger, making it even harder for Ronaldo’s team to win the title. So Ronaldo protests.

So here’s the question—both teams lost their star players, but whose loss is greater?

First, losing Benzema is clearly a bigger blow to Al Ittihad.

Last season, Al Ittihad’s surprise championship was largely thanks to Benzema.

He scored 21 goals and added 9 assists, tying for the top in the Saudi Pro League, accounting for 38% of the team’s 79 goals. His influence was huge, which earned him the league MVP.

Look at this,Benzema just joined Al Hilal, and in the first match early this morning, he scored a hat-trick—that’s definitely a level beyond the Saudi Pro League.

Moreover, Al Ittihad not only lost Benzema but also Kanté, and possibly other stars might leave.

There are rumors that Diaby and Fabinho may also depart.

Even head coach Conceição seems affected.

Why does everyone want to leave?

One reason is to prepare for this year’s World Cup by playing in more competitive leagues to maintain form.

Another reason might be Benzema’s departure.

Rumors say Conceição insists on leaving because he feels disrespected by Al Ittihad’s renewal offer.

Why disrespected? Because the initial offer excluded a basic salary and only offered image rights income.

This upset Benzema — after all his hard work securing last season’s title, this was the reward?

It’s not just Benzema who’s upset; other players are affected too.

Put yourself in their shoes: if even a Ballon d’Or winner and key player like Benzema receives such treatment, why should anyone else expect better? It’s unlikely.

So confidence in the team is shaken.

Therefore, leaving proactively while still capable is a sensible choice.

Even Kanté, such a loyal player, ended up boycotting training. The Turkish president had to personally intervene to facilitate his transfer — that shows how determined they are to leave.

So, although Al Ittihad are the defending Saudi Pro League champions and beat Al Nassr last time,

things have changed; their lineup and morale probably aren’t what they used to be.

Of course, Al Nassr also lost their star Ronaldo.

But does losing Ronaldo really weaken their fighting strength?

Everyone knows Al Nassr was already a top Saudi club before Ronaldo joined, having won the league ten times.

But after Ronaldo arrived?

Despite spending around £300 million per season, nearly twice that of Al Hilal, their performance clearly lags behind Al Hilal.

Here’s a key point—Out of that £300 million, Ronaldo alone takes £170 millionleaving less budget for other players.

But Ronaldo is 41 years old now; his impact isn’t the same as when he was younger.

In the last 1-2 loss to Al Ittihad, there was even a moment where he lost the ball.

In some matches, his positioning seems odd and unhelpful to the team, likely due to age.

Sometimes he even interferes with teammates, like recently when he collided with the second striker Félix.

Considering Portugal’s strong performance without Ronaldo,

could Al Nassr perform well without him too?

Regarding Ronaldo’s boycott, the Saudi Pro League officially issued a stern statement, emphasizing no one can interfere with other clubs’ affairs.

This situation is indeed unreasonable—why should Ronaldo care about another club’s transfer? The league seems unwilling to yield to Ronaldo.

If they refuse to bow to Ronaldo, Al Nassr better deliver strong results to prove they can succeed without him.

Otherwise, if Ronaldo’s boycott ruins Al Nassr, wouldn’t that mean losing to Ronaldo? Would the league’s reputation suffer as well?

So, considering all factors, do you think Al Nassr can satisfy their fans tonight? Xiaojiu hopes they will win!

Alright, for today’s other matches, Xiaojiu will still share text commentary tonight. If anything is unclear, feel free to ask me. “Watch football clearly,” see you there!

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