Rio Ferdinand Criticizes the £175M-per-year Contract With Cristiano Ronaldo
Rio Ferdinand, a former player for Manchester United, supported Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer to the Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr by drawing comparisons to the moves made by Wayne Rooney and David Beckham from Manchester United to American clubs.
Following his turbulent departure from Manchester United in November, Ronaldo announced on Friday that he had signed a remarkable £175 million-per-year deal with the Saudi Arabian team. However, his action has infuriated several football analysts.
Now, Ferdinand has retaliated after Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher voiced their “sadness” at the transfer, claiming that it signaled Ronaldo’s retirement from elite competition.
Ferdinand, a former United defender, likened Ronaldo’s decision to numerous past Premier League players who ended their careers in the US, noting Wayne Rooney’s two-year stint with DC United in the MLS.
No individual had earned the right to the transfer more than the Portuguese great, according to Ferdinand.
On his Vibe with FIVE podcast, Ferdinand remarked, “It was fantastic to watch David Beckham, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney, and Steven Gerrard travel to America. What a way to end their professional careers—earning tremendous money and moving to a league with less competition. They deserved it and have earned the right.
I just read about it in the news. However, it’s shameful and depressing since it’s Saudi Arabia. Let a guy go, live his life, and take pleasure in it. He’s bringing his family on a brand-new journey to discover a different culture.
Every nation in the world has problems, therefore America doesn’t have as many as Saudi Arabia, does it? It’s okay for all of these athletes to go to America, however. Let them go to the United States, spend their last year there, and then let it go.
I object to it. It’s awful that we don’t hear this kind of conversation. The order is off.
“Everyone ought to be treated equally. You’ve earned the right, they told every other player who ended their career by moving to a league with less competition. This gentleman more than any other individual on the earth would have been entitled to it.
