Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr make special request on referees for King's Cup final vs Al-Hilal, ready to pay all expenses: Reports
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr have reportedly requested to have foreign referees for their match against Al-Hilal in the final of the King's Cup.
They have previously made this request in the semifinal against Al-Khaleej as well. Their plea was partially granted, as only the main official was Croatian referee Ivan Bebek, while the rest of the crew was Saudi Arabian.
They won that game 3-1 to progress into the King's Cup final, with Ronaldo scoring two goals and Sadio Mane scoring from the spot as well. Meanwhile, Al-Hilal beat a Karim Benzema-less Al-Ittihad 2-1 in the other semifinal to seal their spot in the grand final.
It is also being reported that Al-Nassr have requested 'elite referees' and that they would be willing to pay the expenses necessary to bring them in for the game (via Al Nassr Zone).
They currently sit in second place in the Saudi Pro League with 71 points in 29 games, nine points behind unbeaten leaders Al-Hilal who also have a game in hand.
Ronaldo's side got knocked out of the AFC Champions League quarterfinals by Emirati side Al-Ain, losing 3-1 on penalties after a 4-4 aggregate score in normal time. The latter also went on to dump Al-Hilal out 5-4 on aggregate in the semifinals to make it to the final.
This means that the final of the King's Cup provides Cristiano and Al-Nassr the only realistic chance at lifting silverware in this campaign.
All-in-all, Cristiano Ronaldo's firepower against the best defense in the Saudi Pro League will be a mouth-watering matchup in the final.
King's Cup final will be Cristiano Ronaldo's 37th career final for club and country
The King's Cup final between Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal will be Cristiano Ronaldo's 37th career final for club and country.
Out of the 36 finals he has played so far, he has impressively ended up on the winning side on 26 occasions. His trophy cabinet includes some of the most prestigious trophies all across Europe and in international football.
At the club level, he has won five Champions Leagues, four FIFA Club World Cups, and league and domestic cup titles in England, Spain, Italy, and Portugal. For his nation, he has won the 2016 UEFA European Championships and the 2019 UEFA Nations League, although he didn't score in either final.
Nevertheless, Cristiano Ronaldo has an impressive record in finals, having bagged 22 goals and two assists in 36 finals so far. He has the opportunity to add to this tally against Al-Hilal in the King's Cup final.
Given his red-hot form this season, having already netted 38 goals and added 12 assists in 39 games, some fireworks will be expected from him in the final as well.