FIFA ban Ronaldo’s Al Nassr from registering new players

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Saudi Arabian membership, Al Nassr, are banned from registering new players till they settle a debt with Leicester City, FIFA mentioned on Thursday.

Al Nassr have been ordered to pay Leicester €460,000 ($513,000) plus annual curiosity of 5% in an October 2021 ruling by a FIFA-appointed decide at its players’ standing committee.

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Leicester filed the grievance in April 2021 due to unpaid extra clauses due from the €18m ($20m) sale of Nigeria ahead Ahmed Musa in 2018.

Al Nassr — which was taken underneath majority possession final month by the $700 billion sovereign wealth Public Investment Fund — can nonetheless signal new players although not register them to play.

“The club Al Nassr is currently prevented from registering new players due to outstanding debts,” FIFA mentioned Thursday. “The relevant bans will be lifted immediately upon the settlement of the debts being confirmed by the creditors concerned.”

Al Nassr’s signing of Ronaldo as a free agent in January sparked an unprecedented spree of spending by golf equipment within the Saudi Pro League, with 4 now majority-owned by PIF. The fund is chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

Al Nassr signed Croatia midfielder Marcelo Brozovic this month from Inter Milan in a switch reportedly valued at €18m ($20m).

Al Nassr are in Portugal on a preseason coaching camp. On Aug. 22, they’ve a qualifying playoff within the Asian Champions League. Al Nassr will host Shabab Al Ahli of United Arab Emirates or Jordan’s Al Wehdat.

Musa left Riyadh-based Al Nassr in 2020 and performed final season with Sivasspor in Turkey.