“No CR7, no watch”, “Time to watch cartoons then” - Al-Nassr fans were left fuming as Cristiano Ronaldo was left out of squad for Al-Hazem clash
Some fans online were left fuming by the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo as Stefano Pioli released Al-Nassr's starting XI against Al-Hazem on Monday, September 23. They are set to face off at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium in the King Cup of Champions.
With two wins and two draws from their first four games, the Knights of Najd are fifth on the Saudi Pro League table at present. Cristiano Ronaldo has been in scintillating form for Al-Nassr this season, scoring in every league game bar one. Despite the team being inconsistent at times, the Portuguese has recorded an impressive five goals and two assists in six games across competitions.
For the game against Al-Hazem, new manager Stefano Pioli went with Sadio Mane and Anderson Talisca in the attack. The midfield was made of Abdulrahman Ghareeb, Otavio, Ali Mukhtar, and Angelo with Nawaf Boushal, Aymeric Laporte, Mohammed Al-Fatil, and Sultan Al-Ghannam manning the backline. Finally, Bento was the man between the sticks for Al-Nassr.
Fans were quick to hop on to X to discuss Stefano Pioli's selection, especially the surprise exclusion of Cristiano Ronaldo from the starting lineup. Some popular comments are as follows:
"No CR7 no watch," commented one fan on X.
"No Ronaldo ???? Time to watch cartoons then," wrote another.
"Where is the Man CR7," tweeted another fan.
"no ronaldo, turn off streaming," agreed another Ronaldo faithful.
Many fans also embraced the change by the Italian tactician - excited to watch how a Ronaldo-less Al-Nassr performs.
"Excited to see how Al Nassr performs on such a significant occasion; the lineup looks promising!" commented one fan.
"Let’s gooo Al Nassr," cheered another.
Al-Nassr outclassed Al-Ettifaq away in their last Saudi Pro League match by a margin of 3-0. Cristiano Ronaldo gave them an early lead courtesy of a converted penalty in the 33rd minute. In the second half, Salem Alnajdi (56') and Anderson Talisca (70') scored to make it 3-0 for the visitors.
How has Cristiano Ronaldo fared for Al-Nassr so far?
Cristiano Ronaldo is widely regarded as one of the greatest players to ever grace the football pitch. Even at the ripe age of 39, the talismanic Portuguese forward is still breaking records left and right for club and country.
Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in January 2023 after his contract was mutually terminated by Manchester United following an explosive interview with British journalist Piers Morgan. Since landing in the Middle East, Ronaldo hasn't shown any depreciation in his goalscoring prowess.
That is evident by his stellar numbers for the Knights of Najd - 63 goals and 17 assists in 70 appearances, i.e., a G/A ratio of 1.14 per game. He also scored a brace (74', 98') to help his side win the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup - their only silverware since Ronaldo's arrival. However, the tournament isn't recognized as an official competition by FIFA.