The pictures speak a clear language. A visibly frustrated Ronaldo makes his way into the dressing room after the half-time whistle. Passing the bench at his club Al-Nassr FC, the Portuguese superstar grumbles towards the coaching staff. He stops for a moment and waves his arms indignantly. Ronaldo is apparently dissatisfied. His Al-Nassr side were trailing 1-0 at half-time in the Cup semi-final against relegation-threatened Al-Wahda FC at home. It doesn’t get any better. Ronaldo and his team can’t even use the red card for the opponent in the 53rd minute. The star himself hits the bar. You lose and fly out of the cup.
After losing in the League Cup, it was the second setback for the Saudi club, who had signed Ronaldo over the winter break in a bid to hoist as many trophies and glory as possible. The superstar is said to receive 200 million euros a year for his services. But the Portuguese commitment does not look like a pleasure tour at the moment. “Ronaldo is not a happy man right now,” commented a reporter on Sky Ronaldo’s gripe. In the Arabian desert state of all places, he is threatened with a season without a title.
The angry gesture towards the coaching bench was not the first questionable action. In the game against Al-Hilal a week earlier, Ronaldo felled an opponent with a choke hold. The league game was lost 2-0 and Ronaldo grabbed his crotch after the final whistle. Observers suspected that he was reacting to the “Messi” calls from opposing fans. Because numerous Saudi fans constantly provoke Ronaldo with the name of his once greatest rival.
According to media reports in Saudi Arabia, after the clear grab on his own genitals, there have already been demands to block Ronaldo. His club Al-Nassr justified the gesture with an alleged injury. Events clearly show that the superstar’s reputation has been tarnished in Saudi Arabia.
The current coach, the Serbian Dinko Jelicic, should try everything to calm the angry Ronaldo, otherwise he may suffer the same fate as his predecessor Rudi Garcia. The Spanish newspaper “Marca” reported that the French coach had recently been fired after a complaint from Ronaldo. Successor Jelicic – see above – didn’t do any better and lost the first two games.
Sources: “N-TV”, “t-online”, “Bild”
