Scored and Yelled at the Coach: Cristiano Ronaldo Abandoned His Teammates After Being Substituted

And this happened while Al Nassr was leading 3-0.

Let's check in on Cristiano. Things are going quite well for him: he helped Al Nassr reach the AFC Champions League quarter-finals, netted the 928th goal of his career, and received another call-up to the Portugal national team. But this is Ronaldo — we know it’s never enough for him.

We still remember his last meltdown — when the 40-year-old forward, frustrated by a referee’s decision, powerfully blasted the ball into the stands and sent the official on a figurative long walk. This time, his anger was directed at Stefano Pioli, Al Nassr’s head coach. At this rate, the kind-hearted Italian might not last long.

The incident occurred during Al Nassr’s Saudi Pro League match against Al-Kholood on Matchday 25. Ronaldo and his team faced a 10th-place opponent, looking to bounce back after winning just one of their last four matches. And it was Cristiano who took the initiative to steer the team back on track.

The Portuguese star opened the scoring in the 4th minute, pouncing on a rebound inside the box and slotting it into the bottom right corner. That was his 19th league goal of the season, putting him two goals ahead of his closest competitor.

Sadio Mané and the €90 million newcomer John Durán then extended the lead, making it 3-0. At the hour mark, Pioli, with the best intentions, decided to rest his star player. That’s a tactic he used with Zlatan Ibrahimović in Milan, helping the Swede stay fresh even at an advanced age.

But Ronaldo either opposes such substitutions on principle or was just in the mood to score more — because he left the pitch furious. First, he lashed out at his coach, sending him to join the referee in his personal blacklist. Then, instead of supporting his teammates from the bench, he stormed straight to the dressing room, unwilling to waste another 30 minutes on what he saw as a meaningless task.

To be fair, Ronaldo doesn’t play for Milan, where his teammates might throw away a 3-0 lead. So Al Nassr conceded just once and secured a 3-1 victory, climbing to third place in the standings. However, their title hopes remain slim — overturning a 10-point deficit to Al-Ittihad with only nine matches left seems unrealistic. And there’s also a six-point gap behind Al-Hilal.

Yet, on social media, Ronaldo insists he’s happy. "Another battle won! Let’s go, Al Nassr!" he wrote after the match.

Published by Patrick Jane
18.03.2025