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Al Alami in a storm of crisis

Al-Nassr are going through one of the bleakest phases in their modern history. A financial crisis has thrown a cloud over the Saudi club's future, and it could end up threatening the entire sporting project.

With talk of massive debts and the difficulty of completing new signings, Cristiano Ronaldo's name has once again come to the centre of the discussion. This time, it is not his goals or his numbers that are prompting debate, but a far bigger question than before: has the time come for him to leave?

Leave aside Ronaldo's historic importance and what he brings on the field. With Al-Nassr's debts touching 800 million riyals, his continued presence means the situation has become disastrous in every possible way.

A project that has drained the budget

Ronaldo has transformed the global image of the Saudi league and boosted Al-Nassr's marketing value in an unprecedented manner. But in return, he is at the heart of a project that is regarded as the most expensive in the club's history.

The huge salary paid to the Portuguese star, along with the privileges attached to his contract, has become a massive financial burden. And this comes at a time when Al-Nassr are facing a clear crisis, one that has left them unable to complete new signings or even sort out the renewal files of some of their players.

Talk of heavy debts has now started to surface. The question, then, is a straightforward one: can Al-Nassr keep running this project at the same cost?

Football is not built around one player

The great football projects have shown one thing clearly: lasting success is never built on a single star. It is built on a complete system of players, a manager and a stable administration.

Bringing the Ronaldo project to an end would free up significant financial room for Al-Nassr. The administration could then complete more than one meaningful deal and settle part of its financial commitments, instead of putting the bulk of the budget into one player.

Read also: The Saudi federation awakens: 5 million ignites the transfer market and seals a Portuguese deal

So the issue is not Ronaldo's technical quality. It is the cost of the entire project, measured against the sporting return the team has managed to achieve so far.

What if he had stayed on?

Ronaldo, however, cannot be blamed for the crisis on his own. He continues to produce impressive numbers, maintains his professionalism and keeps scoring goals and making the difference, while his commercial appeal gives the club a crucial source of income.

Keeping the player, though, also means meeting huge financial commitments. Those could slow down the management's efforts to rebuild the squad, especially if the financial crisis is deeper than anyone believes.

The decision, therefore, will not be purely sporting. It will also be economic, tying Ronaldo's future directly to Al-Nassr's ability to fight their way out of the present crisis.

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The hardest decision

If the aim is only to compete for titles this season, keeping Ronaldo may still make sense. But building a sustainable project that can take Al-Nassr back to the top for years to come could force the management into the hardest decision in its modern history.

Ronaldo's exit would not mean the end for Al-Nassr, just as his continued presence guarantees nothing. One thing is clear. The current crisis has opened a door that nobody ever expected to see opened: has ending the Ronaldo project become the answer to saving Al-Nassr?