Video: Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence sparks reaction from Al Nassr fans vs. Al Ittihad in Saudi Pro League

Cristiano Ronaldo has been under the spotlight this past week like never before since joining the Saudi Pro League in 2022. The Portuguese striker decided to miss Al Nassr’s last two matches, including Friday’s game against Al Ittihad, in protest over certain decisions made by the Public Investment Fund.

In this context, the question was how Al Nassr fans would respond to such an extreme move by CR7. But by the 7th minute of the match against Al Ittihad, that doubt was cleared: thousands of fans at Al-Awwal Park Stadium in Riyadh held up signs featuring the number 7 and Al Nassr’s colors, showing their support for Ronaldo amid the recent controversies.

This is no minor detail. Just a few hours earlier, the Saudi Pro League had issued a strong warning to Ronaldo regarding the ongoing conflicts. “Cristiano has been fully engaged with Al Nassr since his arrival and has played an important role in the club’s growth and ambition… But no individual — however significant — determines decisions beyond their own club,” a league spokesperson said in a statement released Thursday.

These words could be interpreted as a subtle indication that Ronaldo is placing his own desires above those of the Saudi Pro League, or even above Al Nassr’s best interests, by refusing to play in two key matches. Yet, rather than following that line of reasoning, fans have overwhelmingly sided with the player.

How are Al Nassr coping with Ronaldo’s absence?

Beyond the off-field conflicts, Ronaldo’s absence is a significant blow for Al Nassr on the pitch, considering he is the team’s biggest star. Missing the last two league matches has forced head coach Jorge Jesus to reorganize the lineup to make the team function without CR7.

Ronaldo’s decision to sit out this week coincided with Haroune Camara going on loan to Al Shabab. While Al Nassr bolstered the squad during the January transfer window by signing another center forward, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, the former Al Hilal player has yet to make his official debut.

In this context, Jorge Jesus faced the challenge of improvising the team’s attack. On Monday, he opted to field the three usual offensive stars — Kingsley Coman, Joao Felix, and Sadio Mane — while including Abdulrahman Ghareeb, a winger, in place of Ronaldo. The experiment worked well enough for Al Nassr to secure a 1-0 victory.

For Friday’s match against Al Ittihad, the coach changed his approach, adding midfielder Abdullah Al-Khaibari in place of Ghareeb. This adjustment was designed to give the three offensive stars more freedom to make an impact closer to the opponent’s goal.