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Al Nassr Fans Brutally Attacked in UAE as Cristiano Ronaldo’s Return From Ban Turns Into a Nightmare vs Al Ain

Published 03/04/2024, 10:18 PM EST

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via Reuters

Things seem to have gone south for Al Nassr in the last few days. A week after a disappointing draw in the Saudi Pro League, Luis Castro’s side played their AFC Champions League quarterfinals against Al Ain last night. Shockingly, Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. endured a narrow defeat. However, the situation has taken a turn for the worse as Al Nassr fans faced physical assault from Al Ain supporters. 

This comes from a viral video that has surfaced on the X. The clip shows a group of Al Nassr fans being attacked by Al Ain fans outside the Hazza Bin Zayed stadium after the match ended. As per Saudi Arabian-based journalist Abdulaziz Al-Osaimi, the public was unable to leave the stadium without the presence of police and security personnel. Unfortunately, those who took the unguarded exits got attacked by the Abu Dhabi-based club’s supporters. Perhaps a mere dispute between both teams’ groups could be the reason for the altercation to transpire. However, only further investigation will reveal the intricacies of last night’s events. 

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As of now, neither Al Nassr nor Al Ain have commented on the incident. But there certainly remains an outrage back in Riyadh, who demand action against the UAE side and its supporters. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether the AFC Champions League committee will take action against Al Ain.

Meanwhile, it certainly wasn’t the return Cristiano Ronaldo was expecting after his one-match ban following his unethical gesture towards Al Shabab fans. Notably, the misery doesn’t end here, as the situation is no less than a nightmare for Al Nassr. 

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A dreadful night for Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr 

Aside from firing blank, Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t able to help his side register a convincing result in the QFs of the AFC Champions League. Soufiane Rahimi’s 44th-minute strike was enough to send Al Nassr home empty-handed. Things went downhill for the Riyadh side as Aymeric Laporte was sent off in injury time. The disappointment doesn’t end here. 

via Reuters

Luis Castro was already forced to travel to Abu Dhabi without Anderson Talisca, who was sidelined due to injury. Now, they’ve encountered another setback, as Aziz Behich had to be substituted in the 73rd minute as he struggled to maintain his pace. While uncertainty remains over Talisca and Behich, Laporte will surely be out for the second leg. It remains to be seen how Al Nassr navigates these turbulent waters, especially regarding the assault on their fans.

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Written by:

Abhishek Mishra

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Abhishek Mishra is a senior Soccer Writer at EssentiallySports. His early exposure to playing soccer earned him many accolades at college divisions, making him a sports enthusiast. While closely following daily updates for over a decade, Abhishek is well-versed in European soccer and now the MLS, as well.
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Edited by:

Daniel D'Cruz