Ronaldo talks up Saudi football despite heavy defeat to Celta Vigo

Madrid, July 18 (IANS) Cristiano Ronaldo has ruled out returning to play in Europe, while insisting that the Saudi Arabian football league is stronger than the United States' Major League Soccer.

Ronaldo made his remarks after his side Al Nassr were thrashed 5-0 by Spain's Celta Vigo in the pre-season Algarve Trophy held in Faro, Portugal.

Jorgen Strand Larsen scored a hat-trick as Celta romped to victory in Rafa Benitez's first game in charge, but speaking in the mixed zone afterwards, Ronaldo was disparaging about Spanish football, a Xinhua report said.

"La Liga has lost quality," insisted Ronaldo, who said football in Saudi Arabia was now at a high level.

"It is not as UEFA saying that only veterans are coming to Arabia. This year quality players such as Jota or Ruben Neves are going there.

"I won't return to European football: the door is completely closed. I'm 38 years old, also European football has lost lot of quality. The only valid league is the Premier League, they're way ahead of all the other leagues," said Ronaldo.

Ronaldo also said that he had "opened the way" for other players to move to Saudi Arabia and said that it would soon be a better quality than the Dutch or Turkish leagues.

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