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Fans are delighted to see Cristiano Ronaldo named as Al-Nassr captain for the team's Saudi Pro League showdown against Abha. The second-placed team in the SPL table will host Abha at Mrsool Park on Saturday (March 19).
Rudi Garcia's team are coming off a 3-1 win against Abha in the Kings Cup quarterfinal. Ronaldo didn't get on the scoresheet in the game. While the Portuguese is riding a three-game goalless streak, he has scored eight goals and provided two assists in nine games across competitions for the SPL club. Ronaldo was named the league's Player of the Month for February too.
Al-Nassr are second in the SPL, with 46 points from 20 games. They trail Al-Ittihad by four points but have a game in hand. A win against Abha is almost a must to stay in touch with the league leaders.
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Fans, though, are over the moon to see Ronaldo start against Abha. One tweeted:
"The king plays today."
Another anticipated that Ronaldo will finally score his first home goal:
"He is scoring. Note it down, he's scoring.."
Here are some of the best reactions from fans across Twitter as Cristiano Ronaldo captains Al-Nassr against Abha:
Erik ten Hag explained why Cristiano Ronaldo didn't suit Manchester United's philosophy
Cristiano Ronaldo was at loggerheads with manager Erik ten Hag before parting ways with Manchester United in November by mutually terminating his contract.
Ten Hag's recent interview with Robin van Persie might suggest why the five-time Ballon d'Or winner wasn't suitable to the Red Devils' philosophy. Ten Hag said (via Mirror):
"Of course, I have a certain philosophy, and one thing is I want to play attacking, I want to play proactive. It's not about the way you want to play, but the players - they decide, and they dictate the philosophy of how you play."
He added:
"You have to adapt, definitely, but for instance for me, now football is about attacking with 11 players and defending with 11 players. So, if you ask me about full-backs, you find them sometimes in positions you don't expect them. That's what I like. I'm looking for that type of player."
Cristiano Ronaldo was often used as a bit-part player by Ten Hag, which didn't sit well with the Portuguese. He has once again become an undisputed starter since his move to Al-Nassr, though.
