Ronaldo and Al-Wetr Test against TSV St. Johann in the Tyrolean Lower House

Ronaldo and Al-Wetr Test against TSV St. Johann in the Tyrolean Lower House

Saalfelden, Österreich - On July 26, 2023, there is an exciting test game between TSV St. Johann in Tyrol and the Saudi club al-Nassr. This game is held in Saalfelden, where Al-Nassr is preparing for the coming season in the training camp. The German agency Onside Sports organized the training camp and determined which teams al-wet rings will test. In addition to St. Johann, there are further test games, including encounters against Toulouse on July 30th and Crystal Palace on August 2. It is currently unclear whether spectators can follow the test game against Al-Nassr live.

al-Nassr, the club that has prominent players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mané and Aymeric Laporte in its ranks, has moved into the spotlight in the past few months. Ronaldo, who switched to Al-Nassr in 2022, strives for his first significant title with the club. He currently achieves success in the AFC Champions League, where Al-Nassr is third with ten points from four games. A victory against Al-Gharafa could secure the team an important step towards the next round.

ronaldo and the challenges in Saudi Arabia

The situation in the Saudi league is tense. Al-Nassr's chances in the title race of the Saudi Pro League have recently decreased, while the rivals of Al-Hilal, who have already remained 46 games, had to accept a surprising defeat. Ronaldo has already scored seven goals in the current season and would like to further increase his achievements to help Al-Nassr to a successful season.

Transfer policy in Saudi Pro League has attracted considerable attention in recent years. Numerous stars have decided to switch to the league. For example, Jhon Durán switched from Aston Villa to Al-Nassr in the 2024/2025 season for around 77 million euros. Such sums are not the norm in every European league, especially not in the Bundesliga that had a transfer deficit, while clubs like Bayern Munich made high investments in new players. While Bavaria had the highest expenses in the Bundesliga, the expenses for transfers in the English Premier League with around 2.8 billion euros in the 2024/2025 season are even higher.

The dynamics in the transfer market remains unbroken. Change of players is not only a question for the big names, but also for the smaller clubs that have to assert themselves against the financially stronger competitors. The developments around Al-Nassr and its prominent squad design are part of a larger trend in football, which is more and more shaped by significant financial resources. Many complain about the discrepancy between high transfer expenditure and sporty success, which shows that even large investments do not always provide the desired results.