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The title curse at Al-Nassr continues to haunt Cristiano Ronaldo. |
In the early morning of May 1, despite being considered a strong candidate to advance to the final match against arch-rival Al-Ahli, Al-Nassr unexpectedly lost 2-3 to Kawasaki Frontale in the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite 2024/25.
The defeat is hard to justify.
The 2024/25 AFC Champions League Elite looks set to be a showcase of Saudi Arabian football. Three of the four semi-finalists are from Saudi Arabia, with the semi-finals and finals also being held in the country.
Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal used more than 10 foreign players while other teams in East and Central Asia only registered a limited number (less than 5). According to statistics from AFC, the value of Al-Nassr's squad is 5 times higher than that of its opponent Kawasaki, who is currently ranked 8th in the Japanese championship this season.
Everything seemed to be cleared for Al-Nassr and Ronaldo to play in the AFC Champions League Elite final, but they suffered a humiliating defeat. Even more bitter for Ronaldo, he continuously missed opportunities to equalize in the final minutes of the match. CR7 could not become the "savior" of Al-Nassr, in the playground where the team's leadership had the most expectations.
The moment Ronaldo was helpless in stretching to score in the 90+4 minute showed many things. Age has affected the Portuguese superstar too much, causing him to have difficulties.
empty handed
Despite maintaining his impressive scoring form since joining Al-Nassr in 2023, Ronaldo's quest to win major trophies in the Middle East has been unsuccessful. So far, the only title Ronaldo has won with Al-Nassr is the Arab Club Champions Cup, a tournament not officially recognized by FIFA. This tournament is only a pre-season friendly.
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Cristiano Ronaldo was left shocked as Al-Nassr were eliminated from the AFC Champions League Elite. |
After three seasons at Al-Nassr, Ronaldo’s failure to help the club win any major trophies has been a huge disappointment. It should be noted that Ronaldo currently earns more than 200 million euros a year at Al-Nassr, the highest in world football.
Before this season, Ronaldo failed twice in the race for the Saudi Pro League (SPL). He also suffered three defeats in the Saudi Super Cup matches and was eliminated twice in the King's Cup.
This season, Al-Nassr is currently third in the Saudi Pro League, eight points behind leaders Al-Ittihad. With only four rounds left in the Saudi Arabian Premier League, Al-Nassr’s hopes of winning the championship are slim.
The defeat to Kawasaki continued the Portuguese superstar's trophy drought. Despite scoring 91 goals in 101 matches for Al-Nassr, Ronaldo has yet to help the team win any major titles.
What is the future for Ronaldo? Many sources say that Ronaldo can extend his contract with Al-Nassr, but he has not signed a new deal, while his current contract expires in June. The bitter failure in the AFC Champions League Elite this season has made Ronaldo's future uncertain.
Source: https://znews.vn/ronaldo-that-bai-o-saudi-arabia-post1550231.html
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