Cristiano Ronaldo has met new Al-Nassr manager Ange Postecoglou after the Australian was named the Saudi club's new boss.
Postecoglou takes over from Jorge Jesus, who left after winning the Saudi Pro League title last year to become Portugal's national team manager, a squad captained by Ronaldo. Postecoglou has signed a two-year deal to manage Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, more than eight months after he was sacked by Nottingham Forest just 39 days into the job.
On Tuesday, Postecoglou welcomed Ronaldo with open arms, and Al-Nassr's social media accounts shared photos of the pair embracing.
Ronaldo had just finished his holiday following the World Cup, where Portugal were eliminated by eventual winners Spain in the round of 16 on July 6. He had been holidaying in Mallorca with his wife and children but attended Al-Nassr's friendly against Almeria.
Financial concerns at the club
Ronaldo, who earns £488,000 a day, will again play a key role as Al-Nassr defend their league title. But according to reports in Saudi Arabia, the club is facing a financial crisis that has halted transfers and delayed salary payments.
Al-Riyadiyah reported that several first-team players received their June salaries in instalments, while club officials have been working to settle outstanding amounts. There is a lack of detailed information on how many players have been affected, how much salary remains unpaid, or when the balances will be settled, so the seriousness of the club's long-term financial situation remains unclear.
Why Postecoglou got the job
Despite his struggles at Nottingham Forest, Postecoglou's history of winning trophies helped him beat rivals for the role, including current Portugal manager Roberto Martinez. He ended Tottenham Hotspur's trophy drought by beating Manchester United to win the Europa League in Bilbao last year, and previously won five trophies, including a treble, at Celtic in Scotland.
