Cristiano Ronaldo sends message to Al-Nassr fans after loss to title rivals Al-Ittihad

Cristiano Ronaldo sent a message to Al-Nassr fans after their defeat to Al-Ittihad, stating that while the team were disappointed, they are fully committed to turning their fortunes around.

Captained by Cristiano Ronaldo, Al-Nassr succumbed to a 1-0 defeat to title rivals Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League on Thursday night (9 March). Romarinho scored the winner in the 80th minute to send Al-Ittihad fans into pandemonium.

The victory allowed Al-Ittihad to leapfrog Al-Nassr and claim the top spot in the Saudi Pro League table, with them now sitting one point clear of Ronaldo’s team.

Ronaldo, who cut a frustrating figure in Thursday night’s clash, took to social media following the defeat. He admitted that he was disappointed with the result while vouching to fare better in the upcoming fixtures.

On Twitter, he posted a picture of the team huddled together. The caption read:

“Disappointed with the result, but we stay focused on our season and the games ahead.💪🏼

“Thank you Al Nassr fans for your support, we know we can count on you!🙌🏼💛💙”

Al-Ittihad put in an excellent shift to contain the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who had scored eight goals in six Saudi Pro League matches prior to Thursday’s game. The former Real Madrid superstar ended the night without even creating a single chance and registered just one shot on target.

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Manchester United great Patrice Evra explains why he always picks Cristiano Ronaldo over Lionel Messi

Patrice Evra, who played 121 games with Ronaldo during their time together at Manchester United, has revealed why he always prefers his former teammate over Lionel Messi.

As per Evra, Messi is god-gifted, which he has used to conquer football, while Ronaldo’s achievements are primarily down to his work ethic. Speaking on Rio Ferdinand's FIVE YouTube channel, Evra explained:

“I want to explain why I say Ronaldo, it's not because he's our brother. It's because I love his work ethic. I feel like Messi, god just gave him talent and said to go play with those kids. Cristiano had to work for it, even if he had the talent, he had to work for it.”

Evra astonishingly claimed that Lionel Messi would have won 15 Ballon d’Or awards instead of seven had he been as hardworking as Cristiano Ronaldo.

“I think if Messi had the same work ethic as Cristiano, Messi would probably have 15 Ballon d'Ors today. I just love people that work hard and that's why I pick Cristiano and I know after the World Cup they say now the GOAT is Messi or whatever but Ronaldo is different level.”

Even at 38, Cristiano Ronaldo keeps himself in enviable shape. Al-Nassr’s nutritionist Jose Blesa recently revealed that Ronaldo’s fitness regime has had a massive impact on his teammates, with them training harder than ever before and following a stricter diet.