After joining Al Nassr in January, Cristiano Ronaldo will end his first season in Saudi Arabia without a trophy.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s first season in Saudi Arabia will end without a trophy as his team, Al Nassr, were beaten to the league title by Al Ittihad in the penultimate round.
Ronaldo arrived in Riyadh in January after being released from his contract by English Premier League powerhouse Manchester United and having to settle for second place in the 16-team Saudi Arabian league.
Al Nassr’s 1-1 draw against Ettifaq on Saturday meant Al Ittihad’s 3-0 victory over Al Feiha gave the Jeddah team a five-point lead with one game remaining and their first league title since 2009.
Al Nassr dominated in the eastern city of Dammam, but fell behind just before half-time when Youssef Niakate scored from close range for Ettifaq. A fierce shot from ex-Bayern Munich midfielder Luiz Gustavo went level for Al Nassr after 56 minutes.
Ronaldo has scored 14 goals in 16 league appearances since his debut in January, but could not find a winner this time around and Gustavo had a second-half goal ruled out for offside with 10 minutes left.
Al Ittihad won easily thanks to two goals from Brazilian striker Romarinho and a third-minute goal from Ahmed Sharahili. The team, led by former Wolverhampton and Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo, secured their ninth league title in the overall standings.
“I want to thank the players and the fans for their support this season and everyone has worked really hard from the start,” said Santo. “The early goal was very important and after we scored we settled down.”
Defending champion Al Hilal moved into third place with a 3–0 win over Abha.
Al Hilal won Saudi Arabia’s premier football cup on 12 May, beating Al Wehda on penalties in the final. Al Wehda knocked out Al Nassr in the semifinals.