Haraslín leaves Sparta in tears: Saudi club awaits Slovak, possible clash with Ronaldo looms

Slovak midfielder Lukáš Haraslín is leaving Prague's Sparta for Saudi Arabia's Al-Fateh, with whom he signed a contract on Wednesday. The player had already passed his medical and agreed personal terms as far back as last week, which is why he was left out of the squad for the match against Mladá Boleslav.

This season Haraslín featured for Sparta in league matches against Brno and Zlín, but coach Brian Priske left him out of the squad entirely for the first leg of the Champions League third qualifying round against Lyon — apparently because transfer talks were already underway.

An emotional farewell

The Slovak recorded a heartfelt video message to Sparta fans, which was posted on social media platform X. "Believe me, this was one of the hardest decisions of my life. Unfortunately, that's just how football works sometimes. The offer I received was very hard to turn down," Haraslín said, visibly holding back tears.

He added that the club had become a second home to him, and that despite the occasional off day, he always tried to give everything on the pitch. "Thank you for everything — I'll always be a part of Sparta," he told the Letná faithful.

A possible meeting with Ronaldo

Should Haraslín get up to speed in time for the opening round of the new Saudi Pro League season on Saturday, his new side will face Al-Nassr, home to superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. However, reports suggest Ronaldo himself, fresh off his recent wedding, is more likely to make his Al-Nassr debut in the following round rather than the opener.

His Sparta legacy

Haraslín had been with the Prague club since the summer of 2021, when he arrived from Italy's Sassuolo. During his time there, he made 131 appearances in the Czech league, scoring 47 goals and providing 24 assists. With Sparta, the Slovak international won the Czech league title twice and also featured in the Champions League group stage on one occasion.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by sport.cz