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Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo has once again made headlines for his response to Al-Ain fans following their meeting in the AFC Champions League on Monday, March 4. The Emirati club claimed a narrow 1-0 win over the Knights of Najd in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal tie.
Ronaldo was handed a one-match suspension and fined $8,000 after an obscene gesture directed at Al-Shabab fans in the Saudi Pro League last week. After Al-Nassr beat Al-Shabab 3-2 on February 25, the rival fans were chanting Lionel Messi's name, which led to an angry response from the Portuguese icon.
Restored into the starting XI for the first time since the game against Al-Shabab, Cristiano Ronaldo led the line for Al-Nassr away from home. The 39-year-old was guilty of missing a big chance in the game, as his side failed to register on the scoresheet, losing 1-0.
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Before and during the match, the former Manchester United star faced Messi chants once again, but he refused to let the chanting anger him this time. There was, however, a flashpoint at the end of the match, involving the forward and the home fans.
As Cristiano Ronaldo made his way off the pitch after the final whistle, he responded to fans heckling him, as per Goal.com. He put his hand to his mouth and gave the fans a thumbs-up, all while smiling sarcastically at them.
The AFC will investigate his response to the fans, and like the Saudi Arabia Football Federation, would take action if any wrongdoing is spotted. The former Real Madrid man would hope to feature in the second leg to help his side turn the tie around.
Cristiano Ronaldo helpless as Al-Nassr lose to Al-Ain
Cristiano Ronaldo could do nothing to help his Al-Nassr side in their narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of Al-Ain in the AFC Champions League on Monday. The Portugal legend featured from start to finish in the quarterfinal tie but failed to find the net.
Managed by Hernan Crespo, Al-Ain were always going to pose a significant problem for Al-Nassr. The Emirati side showed their quality by going ahead in the 44th minute when Soufiane Rahimi scored.
Ronaldo put in his best for his side but failed to drag them back from their first-leg defeat. Their woes were compounded when Aymeric Laporte received a late sending-off for elbowing Hazem Mohammad in the back. The Saudi outfit now have to find a way to win in front of their fans to keep their hopes of silverware alive.
The second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal tie will be played on Monday, March 11.
