A Portuguese manager working in Europe has said he would be "wasting time" if he responded to Cristiano Ronaldo saying the Saudi Pro League is stronger than Ligue 1.
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The five-time Ballon d'Or winner recently caused a stir when he claimed that Saudi Arabia's top division is "not worse than the French League" in remarks many have interpreted as a sly dig towards his longstanding rival Lionel Messi.
Between 2021 and 2023, the Argentine represented Paris Saint-Germain in France before leaving the club as a free agent to join David Beckham's MLS side Inter Miami.
Addressing the controversial comments made by the Al Nassr forward, Lille manager Paulo Fonseca, who was born in Mozambique but is a Portuguese citizen, said his compatriot does not deserve a response.
"I don't think it's good what he said. I don't want to make a comparison," he said, according to Goal.
"If he feels happy in Saudi Arabia, I'm happy for him. There are things that don't deserve to be answered. I'm wasting my time answering them.
"These statements are part of it. I think intelligent people will understand why he made this statement."
Ronaldo has helped boost the profile of the Saudi Pro League significantly since his arrival in January last year, with many other big names having followed him to the Gulf country.
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The ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid talisman has scored 38 goals in 44 matches for Al Nassr, and has assisted a further 13 strikes too.
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