Ange Postecoglou Makes Bold Cristiano Ronaldo Call as Al-Nassr Complete Stunning Comeback
Cristiano Ronaldo was left watching from the bench as Al-Nassr produced a remarkable second-half comeback against Al-Ettifaq — after new manager Ange Postecoglou made the surprise decision to take his captain off at half-time.
Ronaldo, 41, was handed his first start under Postecoglou on Tuesday as Al-Nassr travelled to Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League. But the evening quickly became a nightmare for the visitors.
Al-Nassr had won their previous two matches without Ronaldo starting, and their return to the line-up initially appeared to make little difference. Within 12 minutes, goalkeeper Bento was sent off after a challenge on former Fulham striker Moussa Dembele, leaving the league champions with 10 men.
Things then went from bad to worse.
Ronaldo reacts as Al-Nassr fall 2-0 behind
Al-Ettifaq took full advantage of the extra man, with Ondrej Duda and Alvaro Medran both finding the net.
Both goals came after errors from 18-year-old goalkeeper Abdulrahman Al-Otaibi, leaving Al-Nassr facing a 2-0 deficit by the interval.
Ronaldo cut a visibly frustrated figure as he made his way towards the away dressing room.
The Portuguese superstar, who reportedly earns £488,000 per day, was seen shrugging his shoulders at someone as he walked down the tunnel before removing his captain’s armband.
Then came Postecoglou’s biggest decision of the night.
When Al-Nassr returned for the second half, Ronaldo was nowhere to be seen.
The new manager had taken him off.
Postecoglou’s gamble pays off
What initially looked like a major risk ultimately transformed the match.
With Ronaldo watching from the sidelines, Al-Nassr launched an extraordinary comeback despite being a man down.
Sadio Mane finally gave the visitors hope in the 74th minute, reducing the deficit.
Abdulelah Al-Amri then completed the turnaround shortly afterwards, bringing Al-Nassr level.
And the comeback was not finished.
With normal time almost over, Mane struck again to complete a dramatic 3-2 victory and secure all three points for Al-Nassr.
The result immediately shifted attention towards Postecoglou’s decision to remove Ronaldo at the interval and the relationship between the new manager and his superstar captain.
Postecoglou, however, was determined not to let the conversation become about Ronaldo.
‘Everything else doesn’t matter’
Asked about the incident and his decision, Postecoglou insisted that the team’s extraordinary response was the only story worth discussing.
“I think there’s a bigger story today, and that is that 10 men of Al-Nassr were unbelievable,” he told journalists.
“That’s all you should write about today, everything else doesn’t matter.”
He emphasised just how difficult the circumstances had been for his players.
“It doesn’t matter what team because if you see 10 men in those conditions for so long, 2-0 down to come back, that’s the only story today.”
Postecoglou later explained that Ronaldo’s substitution was part of a wider tactical decision rather than something he wanted to turn into a controversy.
“When I made the substitutions, including taking Ronaldo off, I believed the players coming on could make an impact,” he said.
Postecoglou backs Ronaldo despite surprise substitution
The Australian manager also praised the contribution of every substitute who entered the match.
“I’m here to help the team with what I see,” Postecoglou explained. “Everyone knows that Ronaldo hasn’t played in a long time.”
Despite the decision to remove him, Postecoglou was clear that he had been impressed with Ronaldo’s first-half display.
“He performed exceptionally well in the first half, and we opted for a different approach.”
Xem bài viết này trên Instagram
That decision will now be closely watched ahead of Al-Nassr’s next fixtures.
The team are due to face Al-Taawoun at home on Friday before a major clash with Al-Ittihad, who sit second in the table behind Al-Nassr and are the only side to have won all three of their matches so far.
For Ronaldo, the comeback victory provided an unusual experience: celebrating an Al-Nassr win from the sidelines after being substituted at half-time.
For Postecoglou, meanwhile, the dramatic victory offered an early statement about his authority — and his willingness to make difficult decisions when he believes they are best for the team.
