Cristiano Ronaldo extends contract with Al-Nassr for 2 more years
Riyadh, Jun 26 (AP): Cristiano Ronaldo signed a two-year contract extension with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr on Thursday.
The Portugal great's deal lets him continue playing until at least the age of 42 and will give him the chance to add to his record-breaking career.
“A new chapter begins. Same passion, same dream. Let's make history together,” Ronaldo said in a social media post.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner moved to Saudi Arabia at the end of 2022 in one of the most shocking transfers in soccer history after leaving Manchester United. The spectacular deal was reportedly worth up to $200 million a year and led to a slew of top players leaving Europe for the oil-rich kingdom, including Neymar and Karim Benzema.
Ronaldo sparked uncertainty about his future at the end of the Saudi season last month when announcing the “chapter is over." But the announcement on Thursday put an end to speculation about his next move.
"Al-Nassr forever,” he said in a video accompanying the announcement.
The deal is evidence the 40-year-old former Real Madrid forward wants to achieve more in what has been one of the finest soccer careers of all time.
The five-time Champions League winner has just added another trophy to his collection after helping Portugal lift the UEFA Nations League — and it is likely he will still be representing his country at next year's World Cup.
In all, Ronaldo has won 28 major trophies with club and country. He is the all-time leading scorer in the Champions League with 141 goals.
But trophies have been harder to come by in Saudi Arabia where he has had only limited success.
His one trophy so far was the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023 and Al-Nassr is still to win the Saudi Pro League in three attempts with Ronaldo in the team.
Still, his latest deal was hailed by the club, which posted a video of him walking on a beach with the caption “The Story continues..” along with emojis of a goat and a gold heart.
Ronaldo is considered by many to be soccer's greatest of all time, a term often abbreviated as GOAT.
He and Lionel Messi have had a years-long rivalry as the two finest players of their generation, with the duel reaching its peak when they played for Madrid and Barcelona respectively.
The intensity of the rivalry has diminished in recent years as both players have entered the latter stages of their careers and are playing in less heralded leagues, with Messi joining MLS team Inter Miami in 2023.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Porsche car crash case exposed systemic corruption: Pune police commissioner
Pune (PTI): The Porsche car crash case exposed "systemic corruption," but the Pune Police have successfully uncovered the nexus behind the replacement of the accused juvenile's blood samples with those of his mother, Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said on Wednesday.
The case made national headlines after the high-end car allegedly driven by the 17-year-old boy in an inebriated state mowed down motorcycle-borne IT professionals Anish Awadhiya and Ashwini Costa in the Kalyani Nagar area on May 19 last year.
"Last year’s Porsche car crash case sparked widespread discussions about Pune’s deteriorating social culture, alleged police corruption, and several other issues. Amid all the criticism, one positive aspect stood out: the case exposed systemic corruption.
"It also demonstrated how the police, working within the same system, managed to uncover the entire nexus behind the replacement of the juvenile’s blood samples with those of his mother," Kumar said while addressing Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, an initiative aimed at raising awareness against drug addiction, organised at Modern College.
He added that the juvenile has been released since he was a minor.
"However, his mother has remained in jail for over a year, and his father continues to be behind bars. Doctors from Sassoon Hospital and others involved are also still in jail," Kumar said, adding that one mistake by a child, and an attempt by his parents to cover it up, destroyed an entire family.
He said the police will follow up on this case until every guilty person is punished.
Kumar also appealed to students to stay away from intoxicating substances and drugs.
"You are not only endangering your own life but also putting your entire family at risk," he said, urging the youth not to fall prey to harmful addictions.
"Instead, stand strong and act as a force to ensure that drug abuse is curbed in your surroundings. We assure you of full police support," he added.
He further stated that if youth from all colleges unite and decide to end this menace, "the day is not far when not even one gram of drug will be sold in the city".
The investigation into the car crash had revealed that the juvenile's blood samples were replaced with those of his mother.
The roles of Dr Ajay Taware, head of the forensic department, Medical Officer Shreehari Halnor, and a hospital staffer came under scrutiny.
While the mother is currently out on bail, the juvenile’s father, Sassoon Hospital doctors Taware and Halnor, staffer Atul Ghatkamble, two middlemen, Ashpak Makandar and Amar Gaikwad, and others remain in jail for the alleged blood sample swap.
