Ronaldo fumes after early substitution leads to Al Nassr win

Dubai: It was a night to forget for Cristiano Ronaldo, who stormed off the pitch after being substituted while Al Nassr were trailing, only for his side to go on and secure victory without him.

In what was his first start for the reigning Saudi Pro League champions this season, Ronaldo was subbed off by new head coach Ange Postecoglou with his team trailing 2-0 at Al Ettifaq.

Ronaldo led an attacking line-up that also featured Sadio Mane, Joao Felix and Kingsley Coman, but when Al Nassr were reduced to 10 men after goalkeeper Bento was sent off things took a turn.

With the side weakened they then found themselves 2-0 down at the break following goals from Ondrej Duda and Alvaro Medran.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner returned for the second half, but his evening was cut short in the 46th minute when his number was raised on the substitution board, with Abdullah Al Khaibari coming on in his place.

Ronaldo left the pitch shaking his head and throwing his hands in the air following the decision, before snubbing his teammates on the bench and heading straight down the tunnel.

The substitution ultimately paid off, as Abdulelah Al-Amri reduced the deficit with 30 minutes remaining before Sadio Mane struck twice in the final 17 minutes to complete a remarkable 3-2 comeback for the Riyadh side.

Nassr boss Ange Postecoglou explained the decision to swap out his captain: "When I made the substitutions, including taking Ronaldo off, I believed the players coming on could make an impact.

"I came here to help the players, so as I said, I’m proud of them because every substitute made a positive contribution.”

He added: "I'm here to help the team with what I see, and everyone knows that Ronaldo hasn't played in a long time. He performed exceptionally well in the first half, and we opted for a different approach. My credit goes entirely to the players who delivered a fantastic performance in these conditions."

The victory made it three wins from three league matches for Al Nassr to start the season, but the main talking point was undoubtedly Ronaldo’s reaction to being substituted.

The Portuguese star was not around to join his teammates for the post-match celebrations, adding another layer of intrigue to an eventful evening.

Although Postecoglou’s comments after the game were understandably, both the Aussie and Ronaldo are known for their firing personalities with some fans sensing a feud brewing between the pair.