First Al-Nassr match since signing Cristiano Ronaldo called off at last minute
Al-Nassr have been forced to postpone their first game since the blockbuster signing of Cristiano Ronaldo after heavy rain hit their stadium in Saudi Arabia.
The club have been thrust into the international spotlight after completing the incredible, big-money signing of Ronaldo after his Manchester United contract was cancelled at the end of 2022. They unveiled Ronaldo this week and were due to face Al-Ta'i on Thursday but have had to call off the game and push it back until Friday.
The club tweeted: "Due to heavy rain and weather conditions impacting the stadium’s electricity, we have been officially informed that tonight’s match against Al Ta'i is postponed for 24 hours. We apologise for any inconvenience caused to fans and wish everyone safe travels."
There was confusion over whether Ronaldo would play in the match. Before his acrimonious departure from Manchester United was confirmed in November, the English FA handed the 37-year-old striker a two-match suspension and £50,000 fine. A riled-up Ronaldo was filmed slapping a 14-year-old autistic boy's phone out of his hand after United lost 1-0 to Everton on April 9, for which he was also cautioned by police.
However, Al-Nassr never confirmed whether the plan was for him to serve the ban with fresh reports suggesting they were keen to capitalise on the huge media attention surrounding his unveiling. Thousands of fans were waiting to see Ronaldo in action in their first game since his signing and must now wait another day to discover if he will play in the first game.
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Heavy rain hit the Mrsool Park Stadium where Ronaldo was unveiled earlier this week (HAITHAM EL-TABEI/AFP via Getty Images)The Mail reported that a source claimed there was a '15 per cent chance' that Ronaldo would line up in yellow and blue when Al-Nassr face Al-Ta'i in the Saudi Pro League at Mrsool Park in front of a sell-out crowd. Despite the FA in England being the authority which issued Ronaldo with his two-match ban, the suspension must be adhered to worldwide due to FIFA rules.
If the five-time Ballon d'Or winner were to ignore his ban, he'd land himself in further hot water and potentially face even stronger punishment. However, Al-Nassr chiefs are reportedly examining Ronaldo's international clearance certificate to see if it includes a loophole which would see them avoid losing their new star player for two games.
Ronaldo was unveiled as an Al-Nassr player earlier this week (AFP via Getty Images)
Ronaldo and Al-Nassr made no mention of a potential ban at Ronaldo's unveiling earlier this week, in which he spoke of his excitement at being in the Middle East.
"I'm feeling very good. I'm so proud to make this big decision in my life," Ronaldo declared. "In Europe, my work is done; I won everything, I played at the most important clubs in Europe and for me now, it's a new challenge. This is a great opportunity, not only in football but also to change the mentality of the new generation.
"I had many opportunities in Europe, many clubs in Brazil, in Australia, in the US and even in Portugal. Many clubs tried to sign me but I gave my word to this club to develop not only the football but other parts of this amazing country."
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