Things got worse after Al Nasr’s victory over Al Ahli (Image: ×)
Cristiano Ronaldo found himself caught up in the mayhem that broke out after Al Nasr’s 2-0 win over Al Ahly. The two sides clashed in the Saudi Pro League on Wednesday night at Alawal Park. In the end, Al Nasr won with goals from Ronaldo and Kingsley Coman, increasing their advantage over league leaders Al Hilal to eight points and heading into the remaining four games with confidence.
It also marked the club’s 16th consecutive league win and 20th consecutive win in all competitions. There was supposed to be a celebration in front of a packed home crowd after the win against Al Ahly, but the atmosphere quickly turned sour. Immediately after the final whistle, Melih Demiral was restrained by players and staff and was seen colliding with his former Juventus teammate Ronaldo.
He then quickly headed towards Coman and the Frenchman was observed gesturing to him before driving off. Nawaf Bushar was also seen making angry gestures and exchanging words with Ivan Toney before the British withdrew from the standoff.
Demiral was then seen collecting one of the two Asian Champions League medals, hanging it around his neck and showing it to Al-Nasr supporters, and then biting into it while furiously fist-pumping as further provocation.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Simakan distanced himself from the altercation after waving a flag in front of Demiral and completed an honorary lap around the stadium clutching a large Al Nasr flag. He then handed the flag to Ronaldo, who was seen laughing and joking with his teammates before attempting to plant it in the ground.
Once the tension subsided and Al Ahly players and staff left the pitch, Al Nasr’s team celebrated with their supporters. Ronaldo was seen laughing and mocking Demiral in the post-match interview, saying, “I have five champions. Five, five.”
When asked about the considerable “stress” surrounding the match and its aftermath, Ronaldo said he was clearly suffering from persistent “bad things” and grievances and plans to raise his concerns with league officials after the season ends. “I think this is not good for the league,” the Portuguese icon said.
Al Nasr defeated Al Ahly 2-0 (Image: Getty)
“Everyone complains, everyone does more than they should. This is football, this is not a war. We know we have to fight, everyone wants to win, but it can’t be allowed, everything. It can’t be allowed, everything.”
“We’re going to have time to talk at the end of the season because we’ve seen a lot of really bad things. A lot of players have posted on Instagram and Facebook to complain.
“We talk about officiating, we talk about the league, we talk about projects. I don’t think this is good. This is not the goal of the league.
“We should set an example. We should set an example not only here, but also in Europe. We want to compete with them to be one of the best leagues in the world. But like that, I think we need to analyze. Let’s stop that and talk to the SPL, because this is not football to me.”
However, the controversy did not end on the pitch. Demiral was seen telling reporters as the team left the stadium, telling reporters: “I feel like I’ve been treated very badly.” He said, “Referees, wallahi, crazy, friends.
“League reputation, how…check here (pointing to his leg when he was tackled during the game) check my leg, he almost broke my leg, right?”
“They are giving everything to Nasr. They want to achieve something. Walahi, it’s a shame. They are always pushing, they want to win, Nasr, Nasr. Walahi, this is a shame.
“But Alhamdulillah, Al Ahly, always. Al Ahly always wins the games and no one helps us – no one helps us. But we will always come out on top.”
