The Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of Al-Nassr Club, is holding firm in his refusal to participate against Al-Ittihad this evening in the twenty-first round of the Roshn League, in protest against the management's policy in the winter transfer market.

The Saudi sports newspaper reported that the management's attempts to persuade Ronaldo to reverse his decision have failed, due to his continued frustration over the lack of major signings to strengthen the team during the last transfer window.

The newspaper indicated that the crisis worsened after the reduction of the administrative body's powers, represented by José Simedo, the CEO, and Simão Coutinho, the sporting director, which heightened the tension of the Portuguese star.

The sources confirmed that coach Jorge Jesus intends to support Cristiano Ronaldo by refraining from attending the press conference following the match against Al-Ittihad, repeating what he did after the previous match against Al-Riyadh.

Ronaldo was absent from Al-Nassr's 1-0 victory over Al-Riyadh, with the goal scored by Senegalese Sadio Mane, in the 20th round of the Saudi Professional League.

The Al-Nassr captain participated in group training over the past two days and demonstrated his readiness, but was excluded from the match lineup according to several media reports.

BBC Radio revealed that Karim Benzema's transfer from Al-Ittihad to Al-Hilal contributed to escalating the crisis, as Ronaldo considered the move a disruption of the competitive balance in the Saudi league.

Al-Nassr Club holds the third position in the Saudi Professional League standings with 46 points, amid a tense atmosphere ahead of the Al-Ittihad summit.