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Facing Cristiano Ronaldo & Co. ‘Very Important’ for Young Players, Says Shanghai Shenhua Coach

Published 01/07/2024, 12:11 AM EST

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via Reuters

Al Nassr continues to enjoy its winter break after completing the first half of the season on a high note. The countdown for the second leg of the 2023-2024 season has begun, and they will be kicking off things with friendlies in China. Amidst the anticipation, the Shanghai Shenhua coach has stressed how facing Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates will be ‘important’ for his players who are not ‘perfect’.

Ever since the news broke that Cristiano Ronaldo was coming to China, fans have been in a frenzy. Although it’s a mere friendly match, it holds a special significance for Shanghai boss Leonid Slutsky. Speaking in an interview, he said, The match against Cristiano and other well-known stars with Al-Nassr will be very important for our team, especially the young players in our team. However, some of our team players are not perfect”.

“There are four players in the national team and two in the national Olympic team.” Shenhua may not have all of its chess pieces, yet Slutsky’s side looks confident enough to face Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. Notably, after facing Shanghai Shenhua on January 24, Al Nassr will also play against Zhejiang Professional on January 28.

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Both fixtures will be played at the Shenzhen City Stadium. After that, the Knights of Najd will fly back to the Kingdom Arena for their final friendly match against Lionel Messi‘s Inter Miami on February 1. Either way, there are going to be some interesting weeks ahead for the soccer fraternity. While one may question Al Nassr’s decision to fly 3465 miles to play just two friendlies, you may want to hear the perks of it. 

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What’s the benefit behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Co.’s China tour?

As per the reports, Al Nassr will be receiving a paycheck of over $13 million (50 million Riyals) for just participating in the two friendlies. They will reportedly stay in China for 10 days, where the team will also indulge in off-pitch promotion campaigns. Al Nassr’s impending arrival has also boosted tourism in China, particularly in Shenzhen.

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According to Li Jiwei, Vice President of the Meituan Research Institute, the announcement of Cristiano Ronaldo’s participation in China’s friendly tour has resulted in a ninefold rise in lodging reservations in Shenzhen compared to previous numbers. Either way, fans in China must be impatient to meet all the Al Nassr stars, especially Ronaldo. 

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Written by:

Abhishek Mishra

1,979Articles

One take at a time

I first kicked a soccer ball when I was 12. My early exposure to playing the sport earned me many accolades at the zonal and district levels. I still remember my first goal, where I scored a 90+5 minute header like Sergio Ramos did in the 2014 Champions League final against Atletico Madrid.
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Edited by:

Daniel D'Cruz