Cristiano Ronaldo‘s relationship with new Al Nassr boss Ange Postecoglou already appears to be under scrutiny just three matches into the season.
Al Nassr completed a remarkable comeback from two goals down to beat rivals Al Ettifaq 3-2 on Tuesday, but it was no thanks to Ronaldo, who earns an astronomical £488,000 a day, that the reigning champions claimed all three points.
The visitors appeared to be heading for defeat after enduring a disastrous first half which saw goalkeeper Bento sent off in the 12th minute for a challenge on former Fulham midfielder Mousa Dembele after rushing out of his box.
Al Ettifaq capitalised, with Ondrej Duda and Alvaro Medran finding the back of the net to take a two-goal lead into half-time.
Ronaldo, who was making his first start of the season following his return from the summer’s World Cup, cut a frustrated figure as he headed towards the dressing room at the break.
The 41-year-old forward was seen angrily gesturing and removing his captain’s armband as he walked down the tunnel.
Postecoglou then boldly opted to remove Ronaldo before the start of the second half in what turned out to be an inspired move.
Ronaldo couldn’t help but hide his frustration after enduring a disastrous first half which saw the reigning champions trail by two goals and reduced to 10 men
He was seen angrily gesturing and removing his captain’s armband as he walked down the tunnel at half-time
Postecoglou then boldly opted to remove Ronaldo before the start of the second half in what turned out to be an inspired move
Sadio Mane sparked the revival in the 74th minute before defender Abdulelah Al Amri levelled the match three minutes later. Mane then found the back of the net again in the 90th minute to complete the turnaround and seal victory.
Footage of the post-match celebrations showed no sign of Ronaldo celebrating the victory, while Postecoglou refused to indulge questions about his controversial call to drop the Portugal star after the match.
‘I think there’s a bigger story today, and that is that ten men of Al Nassr were unbelievable. That’s all you should write about today, everything else doesn’t matter.
‘It doesn’t matter what team because if you see 10 men in those conditions for so long, 2-0 down to come back, that’s the only story today.’
Controversy appears to have followed Ronaldo since his move to the Middle East in January 2023, following his public fallout with Manchester United.
At the beginning of the year Ronaldo went on strike over what he felt was a lack of financial backing of his Al Nassr compared to their title rivals Al Hilal. Both clubs are majority owned by The Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.
Ronaldo was convinced that Al Hilal are getting preferential treatment, and he was particularly angry that they strengthened their squad by bringing in players such as his former Real Madrid team-mate Karim Benzema during the January window.
Saudi officials, meanwhile, were surprised that Ronaldo was unhappy given he is earning nearly £500,000 a day.
Footage of the post-match celebrations showed no sign of Ronaldo celebrating the victory
Although Ronaldo is the face of the SPL, the league issued a statement firing back at the Portuguese star by reaffirming that he has no say on what happens at clubs outside of his own.
‘The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: every club operates independently under the same rules,’ they said.
‘Clubs have their own boards, their own executives and their own football leadership. Decisions on recruitment, spending and strategy sit with those clubs, within a financial framework designed to ensure sustainability and competitive balance. That framework applies equally across the league.
‘Cristiano has been fully engaged with Al Nassr since his arrival and has played an important role in the club’s growth and ambition. Like any elite competitor, he wants to win. But no individual – however significant – determines decisions beyond their own club.’
Ronaldo claimed his first league title with Al Nassr last season.
