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Cristiano Ronaldo is receiving a thunderous reception in his early days in Saudi Arabia, but not the kind he would have expected.
The self-proclaimed GOAT landed in Riyadh amid some of the worst weather the Saudi capital has experienced for decades and was forced to delay his debut while serving the first game of a two-game ban imposed by the FA in November.
His stormy departure from Manchester United and his arrival in Arabia has been marked by torrential rain, thunder and lightning, forcing his debut to be canceled last night and rescheduled for Friday, when Al-Nassr comfortably beat Al-Ta’ee 2-0. at Mrsool Park.
Cristiano Ronaldo (centre) was officially introduced as an Al-Nassr player on Tuesday afternoon.
Despite another day of heavy rain, Al-Nassr announced that the match against Al Ta’ee at Mrsool Park would go ahead.
Groundkeepers worked with squeegees and forks to try to clear water from the swamp-like pitch 90 minutes before kick-off on a largely empty pitch.
Stewards wearing blue plastic ponchos sheltered from the torrential rain as officials prepared to reveal whether their spectacular Portugal star would flout the ban.
Ronaldo arrived at Mrsool Park with his tracksuit-clad teammates and waded through ankle-deep puddles as he entered the stadium 90 minutes before the scheduled kick-off time. His image occupied a privileged place next to a giant screen and in front of the executive box for all to see.
His new team’s first game since signing on Thursday was postponed due to heavy rain in Riyadh.
Torrential rain caused electrical problems in Al-Nassr camp and forced the postponement
Heavy rain continued on Friday, but caretakers worked with squeegees and pitchforks to try to clear away the water and make the surface playable.
Despite torrential rain, Al-Nassr’s clash with Al Ta’ee at Mrsool Park went ahead on Friday.
The image of Ronaldo shows him in his new club shirt with both fists raised showing off his biceps. But after calling Saudi Arabia ‘South Africa’ at his arrival press conference, the Portuguese made a second misstep on Friday.
As the national anthem of his adopted country played and the teams lined up, the suspended striker chatted with a man in the VIP box.
He then sat down as the anthem played and was quickly pushed to his feet.
Ronaldo was seen in an executive box (pictured) in the stands at Mrsool Park on Friday
He was accompanied in the box by his personal manager Ricardo Regufe, who negotiated the deal that led to Al-Nassr winning the five-time Ballon d’Or
He then stood with other dignitaries for the final seconds as the anthem played.
The pitch looked like a quagmire in the pouring rain and the superstar forward would not have been happy playing in steamy conditions as sliding tackles flew and the ball repeatedly got stuck in the mud.
Despite claims that the 28,000 seat stadium had sold out, Mrsool Park was half empty with strips of empty yellow seats.
Al-Nassr fans enthusiastically snapped photos of the club’s new signing at Mrsool Park on Friday.
A club source said this was possibly due to the news of Ronaldo’s ban, as first reported. sports mailhad reached the fans, as well as torrential rain and freezing temperatures.
Spectators chanted their new hero’s name as his image appeared on stadium screens and he waved back from behind a glass screen.
He was accompanied in the executive box in the stands by his personal manager Ricardo Regufe, who allegedly negotiated his transfer to Al-Nassr.
According to Medium Portuguese PublicRegufe replaced Ronaldo’s former agent, Jorge Mendes, as the former striker’s most trusted confidant.
The relationship between Ronaldo and Mendes reportedly soured after Mendes objected to the 37-year-old giving a bombshell interview to Pies Morgan and later learned that any hope of finding the star at another top club in Europe had been dashed. .
Ronaldo’s early debut was thrown into doubt because he has yet to serve a two-game ban he received from the FA late last year for slapping a phone out of the hand of a young Everton fan during a game last season.
Al-Nassr was considering playing the Portuguese superstar in defiance of suspension, willing to pay any fines imposed on them by world governing body FIFA.
The former Manchester United star put pen to paper on a lucrative deal with the Saudi club.
Ronaldo was fined £50,000 and banned for two games in November for slapping the phone from the hand of a 14-year-old autistic boy as he left the pitch at Goodison Park on April 9 after Manchester United’s 1-0 win. loss to Everton.
sports mail revealed earlier this week that just before the match was postponed on Thursday, Al-Nassr had yet to confirm that he would accept the ban, which is backed by FIFA rules.
However, the club was said to have received Ronaldo’s international clearance certificate and its executives were examining whether he could help them circumvent the banning order.
Without outright denial that the ban could be circumvented, it was believed that Al-Nassr still expected him to don the yellow jersey and make his Saudi Pro League debut in front of what was supposed to be a sellout crowd.
However, ignoring the ban could have put Ronaldo in more hot water and seen the club hit with a large fine.
Ronaldo has yet to serve a two-match ban he was handed by the Football Association of England in November for slapping a phone out of the hand of an Everton fan after a game last season.
It emerged on Thursday that the Saudis would have had a difficult time fielding Ronaldo anyway, as the club were unable to register the star as it exceeded its quota of foreign players.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is Al-Nassr’s ninth import from abroad and club sources told AFP that negotiations are underway to sell a current squad member to meet the limit of eight. for the Saudi Pro League.
“Al Nassr has not yet registered him because there is no vacancy for a foreign player,” an anonymous Al Nassr official told AFP.
‘A foreign player must stop registering Ronaldo, either by selling or terminating the contract by mutual agreement.’