Why did a player of the stature of Cristiano Ronaldo decide to go and play in a league as minor as that of Saudi Arabia?
Perhaps, seeing that he no longer makes as many differences as before in the European elite, he will seek to lower the competition to continue shining and setting records.
For example, beating
Lionel Messi
in the race to be the top scorer in history: CR7 has an advantage of 25 scores (819 against 794).
It is a simple hypothesis, but, if so, the beginning of his cycle in the Arab country is not giving him what he was looking for:
two games played, both from the start and adding 90 minutes, without goals or performances that excite with a lift
from the crack that ended without continuity at Manchester United and made a modest World Cup with the Portugal team.
After his
double and greeting with Messi in the friendly against Paris Saint Germain,
the season for the Portuguese began with a 1-0 victory against Al-Ettifaq in the local league and faced, this Thursday,
the semifinals of the Saudi Super Cup against Al-Ittihad: tough 3-1 defeat
for Al-Nassr, which included
Pity Martínez
among its starters and featured the debut of
Agustín Rossi
.
CR7 tried, but could do little in the defeat of Al Nassr in the Saudi Super Cup.
EFE/EPA/STR
Those led by the Frenchman
Rudi García
had 64% possession, but they barely managed to finish off the goal defended by Marcelo Grohe (former Gremio goalkeeper, 2017 Libertadores champion) three times and without much danger.
Cristiano suffered from the malfunction of his equipment and failed to gravitate.
As if that were not enough, the Al-Ittihad fans who were present at the King Fahd International Stadium sought to provoke him by shouting
"Messi, Messi, Messi",
a confrontation that seems to be more from the fans than from the protagonists themselves.
Proof of this, the images that CR7 shared on Instagram, one of them with Leo, and the message of complicity towards the Argentine:
"Very happy to be back on the field and to convert again! And it's good see some old friends!"
he posted.
Injury and possible penalty
At the end of the match this Thursday,
Cristiano Ronaldo received a hard kick and left the field limping.
The newspaper Marca points out that the former Real Madrid player withdrew from the field with inflammation in his right foot and that they will carry out medical studies once the swelling goes down to determine the extent of the injury.
And the problems could continue off the pitch for him, with
a possible suspension from his time at Juventus.
It is that he played there during the season in which the Vecchia Signora committed financial fraud, which now earned him 15 points in Serie A.
For this reason, along with another 22 footballers who were included in the investigation that is being carried out, he
could be suspended for 30 days
without competition and miss the next Al-Nassr commitments,
which next Friday will seek to raise its head when it faces the Al-Fateh for the 15th date of the local league.
look too
Agustín Rossi and a failed debut at Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr: he conceded three goals and was eliminated from the Saudi Super Cup
Copa del Rey: Atlético de Madrid won it with a goal made in Scaloneta but Real advanced to the semifinals after a perfect extension
Six changes and 'Chiquito' Romero starting: Ibarra's penultimate test before Boca's debut in the Professional League
