Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has once again fallen victim to the reprehensible actions of fans, but fortunately, he escaped unscathed. Supporters hurled projectiles at Ronaldo, yet it was his Al Nassr teammates who bore the brunt.
In the early hours of March 16th, Al Nassr embarked on an away fixture against Al Ahli as part of the 24th round of the 2023/24 Saudi Pro League. Just days prior, Al Nassr had been eliminated from the AFC Champions League quarter-finals by Al Ain of the UAE.
Consequently, Ronaldo and his Al Nassr comrades exhibited unwavering determination as they faced Al Ahli in the 24th round of the Saudi Arabia Professional League. It was none other than Ronaldo who netted the solitary goal, securing victory for Al Nassr over Al Ahli with a penalty kick in the 68th minute.
However, the aftermath of this clash was overshadowed by a despicable incident perpetrated by Al Ahli supporters. Specifically, in the 45th minute, Ronaldo dribbled past the last defender and even the goalkeeper of Al Ahli before delicately slotting the ball into the empty net from a very narrow angle. The Portuguese striker and his teammates celebrated exuberantly this splendid goal. Unfortunately, VAR intervened subsequently, disallowing the goal due to an offside infringement.
Notably, as the Portuguese star and his teammates were celebrating near the touchline, spectators in the section occupied by Al Ahli fans began raining down “a deluge of bottles and jars” towards them.
Following a barrage of thrown objects, forward Otavio bore the brunt, while Ronaldo fortunately emerged unscathed from any trouble. Immediately, stadium officials and even home team players had to intervene to halt the aforementioned actions by the fans.
It is worth mentioning that this marks the second occasion Cristiano Ronaldo has been targeted with thrown objects while playing in the Saudi Arabia Professional League. Al Ahli is likely to face sanctions from the league’s governing body for allowing their fans to engage in unsportsmanlike conduct towards opposing players.