Ronaldo’s half-time withdrawal was his own call in Al Nassr’s comeback win, says Saudi report

Cristiano Ronaldo asked to be substituted at half-time during Al Nassr’s 3-2 comeback victory over Al Ettifaq, according to Saudi media reports.

The Portugal forward, who captains Al Nassr, was replaced by manager Ange Postecoglou during Tuesday’s match in the third round of the Roshn Saudi League. His departure surprised supporters, particularly after Ronaldo appeared to make angry gestures at the end of the first half.

There had been speculation that the 40-year-old was unhappy with Al Nassr’s performance and had learned in advance that he would be taken off. However, television presenter Khalid Al-Shenaif offered a different explanation during his programme Dourina Ghair.

Al-Shenaif said Ronaldo himself had requested the change, believing that a more energetic player would be better placed to press Al Ettifaq and provide the team with greater assistance in the second half.

He added that the substitution had been agreed with Postecoglou and that Ronaldo had not been forced to leave the match.

“Ronaldo came off in agreement with the manager and was not forced to do so. He believed it was in the team’s best interests for him to leave and for another player to come on, and that is what happened,” Al-Shenaif said.

The report also claimed that Ronaldo was overcome with emotion after the final whistle and cried heavily. That was given as the main reason he did not come out to acknowledge the supporters, something he has usually done after Al Nassr matches.

Despite Ronaldo’s early departure, Al Nassr recovered to beat Al Ettifaq 3-2. The result means they have won each of their opening three league matches and remain unbeaten at the start of the campaign.

The circumstances surrounding Ronaldo’s substitution added to the attention around a match that also prompted debate over officiating. A refereeing expert was reported to have said that Ronaldo should have been awarded a penalty and that there had been an error in the decision to send off Al Nassr goalkeeper Bento.

Al Nassr will now turn their attention to their next league fixture against Al Taawoun on Friday. The match is scheduled to take place in the fourth round of the Roshn Saudi League, with the club seeking to maintain its perfect start to the competition.

Ronaldo’s decision to leave at the interval, followed by the claims about his emotional reaction, has made the Al Ettifaq victory one of the most discussed matches of Al Nassr’s early league campaign.