I Don’t Care about Individual Records Anymore, Ronaldo Says

Football - Asian Champions League - Group B – Al-Nassr v Al-Rayyan - Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - September 30, 2024 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
Football - Asian Champions League - Group B – Al-Nassr v Al-Rayyan - Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - September 30, 2024 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
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I Don’t Care about Individual Records Anymore, Ronaldo Says

Football - Asian Champions League - Group B – Al-Nassr v Al-Rayyan - Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - September 30, 2024 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
Football - Asian Champions League - Group B – Al-Nassr v Al-Rayyan - Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - September 30, 2024 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)

Cristiano Ronaldo insists he is focused on being the perfect team member at Saudi side Al-Nassr rather than collecting more individual accolades in the twilight of his career.

The 39-year-old, who has won the Ballon d'Or award five times, scored in Al-Nassr's 2-1 win over Al-Rayyan of Qatar in their AFC Champions League Group B match on Monday.

It was the club's fourth successive victory in all competitions under new coach Stefano Pioli, who replaced Luis Castro last month.

"It was a strong and difficult match like all the matches in the AFC Champions League, but the most important thing is that we created many chances and defended well to prevent the opponent from creating easy chances," Ronaldo told a press conference.

"It is not important anymore whether I am the best or not, I no longer care about that. It is good for a player to score goals, but for me it is better for the team to win.

"I am used to breaking records and I no longer look for them. The most important thing for me now is to enjoy and help Al-Nassr and my teammates to win."

Ronaldo became the top scorer in a single season in the Saudi Pro League last May with 35 goals.

The Portugal captain also scored his 901st career goal in a 2-1 win over Scotland in the Nations League last month.

"My goal against Al-Rayyan was different and important because my father would have been happy with it if he was alive, as today (yesterday) is his birthday," the former Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United forward added.



RB Leipzig Fire Coach Marco Rose

(FILES) Leipzig's German head coach Marco Rose reacts from the sidelines during the German Cup (DFB Pokal) quarter final football match between RB Leipzig and VfL Wolfsburg in Leipzig, eastern Germany, on February 26, 2025. (Photo by Ronny Hartmann / AFP)
(FILES) Leipzig's German head coach Marco Rose reacts from the sidelines during the German Cup (DFB Pokal) quarter final football match between RB Leipzig and VfL Wolfsburg in Leipzig, eastern Germany, on February 26, 2025. (Photo by Ronny Hartmann / AFP)
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RB Leipzig Fire Coach Marco Rose

(FILES) Leipzig's German head coach Marco Rose reacts from the sidelines during the German Cup (DFB Pokal) quarter final football match between RB Leipzig and VfL Wolfsburg in Leipzig, eastern Germany, on February 26, 2025. (Photo by Ronny Hartmann / AFP)
(FILES) Leipzig's German head coach Marco Rose reacts from the sidelines during the German Cup (DFB Pokal) quarter final football match between RB Leipzig and VfL Wolfsburg in Leipzig, eastern Germany, on February 26, 2025. (Photo by Ronny Hartmann / AFP)

RB Leipzig have fired coach Marco Rose, days out from a German Cup semi-final clash at Stuttgart, the club said in a statement on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopp, Head of Soccer at parent company Red Bull, was not named in the statement and has said previously he would not step in as coach, whether on a permanent or interim basis.

Leipzig slipped to sixth in the table after Saturday's 1-0 loss at Borussia Moenchengladbach, their sixth successive away match without a win, AFP reported.

Leipzig-born Rose took over in September 2022 and guided them to a German Cup triumph in his first season in charge.

"We believed in Marco and his team for a very long time and tried everything until the very end to turn things around together," sporting director Marcel Schaefer said in a statement.

"However, given the current situation and the lack of results, we are firmly convinced that we need a new impetus for the remaining games to achieve our goals this season."

Leipzig thanked Rose for his time at the club but the coach was not quoted in the statement.