Real Madrid legend joins Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia… just days after the LaLiga giants won their 15th Champions League title

A Real Madrid legend has signed a deal to join Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.

The development comes just days after Madrid lifted their 15th Champions League crown at Wembley with a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund.

 

Ronaldo has reportedly been reaching out to former team-mates to encourage them to join Al-Nassr, where he has failed to win a trophy since joining 18 months ago.

Last Friday he was in tears after they lost on penalties in the Saudi King Cup final to Al-Hilal, who also stormed to the league title 14 points ahead of them.

At least now his prospects have been boosted with the arrival of a former Madrid star – although they didn’t play together at the Bernabeu.

A Real Madrid legend has joined Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia

Fernando Hierro, who played for Madrid from 1989 to 2003, has joined as sporting director

Fernando Hierro, who played for Madrid from 1989 to 2003, has joined as sporting director

That individual is nobody other than Fernando Hierro, who has penned a deal as Al-Nassr’s sporting director.

The club announced the deal on social media with photos of Hierro, 56, beaming pitchside and by a conference table.

‘We are thrilled to announce the Spanish icon Fernando Hierro, as the new sporting director of Al-Nassr! Welcome Fernando,’ the caption read.

Hierro spent 14 seasons at Madrid as a player, winning five LaLiga and three Champions League titles as a defender or holding midfielder.

English football fans may well remember his year at Bolton, where he finished his career in 2004-05 as part of Sam Allardyce’s team that finished sixth in the Premier League.

That season he arrived at the then-Reebok Stadium alongside Les Ferdinand, Gary Speed, and El-Hadji Diouf.

He also made 89 appearances for Spain, although La Roja didn’t progress beyond the quarter-final stage of any of the six competitions he competed in.

As a manager he has taken charge of Oviedo in his homeland as well as the Spanish national team for four games at the 2018 World Cup, where they reached the last 16, following the sacking of Julen Lopetegui.

 

Hierro (right) took charge of the Spanish national team during the 2018 World Cup

Hierro (right) took charge of the Spanish national team during the 2018 World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo took a break before Euro 2024 and shared holiday snaps on his Instagram

Cristiano Ronaldo took a break before Euro 2024 and shared holiday snaps on his Instagram

On his Instagram story, Ronaldo, his partner Georgina Rodriguez, and his five children are seen soaking up the sun

On his Instagram story, Ronaldo, his partner Georgina Rodriguez, and his five children are seen soaking up the sun

Hierro will have to wait a while to link up with Ronaldo, who is putting the sorrows of the King Cup final defeat behind him on holiday.

The Portuguese has taken to Instagram to share snaps from his holiday and he looks to refresh before linking up with the national team, ahead of this summer’s tournament.

In one snap the forward can be seen in pale blue shorts, posing in front of a crystal-clear beach behind him.

Alongside the picture, Ronaldo captioned the image with one word: ‘Recharging’.

In a separate photo, uploaded to his Instagram story, the Portugal skipper posed with his five children on the beach and partner Georgina Rodriguez.