While his former club Real Madrid were duking out one of the most thrilling Champions League knockout ties of the modern age, Cristiano Ronaldo found himself with his head buried in a toilet bowl in Riyadh.
The five-time Ballon d’Or champion gave in to his stomach cramps after being substituted in the closing stages of Wednesday’s narrow victory for Al Nassr over Al Ettifaq. As his manager Jorge Jesus revealed postgame, Ronaldo wasted no time heading straight for the bathroom.
“I was thinking of not including him; he wasn’t in good shape,” Jesus revealed. “He was suffering from stomach pains and a general feeling of fatigue and, when I substituted him, he went straight to the dressing room and threw up.”
For Ronaldo’s part, he didn’t dwell on the illness.
In a social media post shortly after the final whistle, the 41-year-old wrote: “+3. Great energy from the stands.” Despite his ailing health, Ronaldo showed enough energy to rattle off seven shots against Al Ettifaq, although none found the back of the net. However, Al Nassr still picked up those three points without Ronaldo’s assistance, which is not entirely new.
Ronaldo Closing on Long Wait for Saudi Success
Al Nassr’s victory pulled them eight points clear of Al Hilal at the Saudi Pro League’s summit with just five games of the campaign remaining. Ronaldo’s side still have to face two of their closest challengers, third-placed Al Ahli and Al Qadsiah in fourth, but are exceedingly well placed to win the first major trophy since Ronaldo’s arrival.
The champion of England, Spain and Italy finished as a runner-up in each of his first two seasons in Saudi before slumping to a lowly third place last season. That dramatic drop off forced Al Nassr into Asia’s secondary continental competition—the aptly named Champions League Two—which the club could also win before the end of the campaign after reaching the quarterfinals.
While it will be invariably be billed as Ronaldo’s title, this has hardly been a one-man show. João Félix has directly contributed to more goals than his compatriot this season (27 goals and assists compared to 26) while much of Al Nassr’s success has been built upon defensive superiority—an aspect of the game on which Ronaldo has rarely had a large impact.
Al Nassr’s lack of reliance upon Ronaldo is spelled out by their record in games without the immobile talisman. The Riyadh outfit have won all 12 games without the looming figure of their No. 7 at the tip of the attack.
Ronaldo’s Rocky World Cup Preparations Continue
Ronaldo was forced to miss Al Nassr’s first two matches of March with a hamstring issue which also denied him a place in Portugal’s final round of friendlies before the World Cup roster is announced. Roberto Martínez made it abundantly clear that he plans on selecting his veteran striker.
“Cristiano is our captain, a role model and a player with a real hunger,” Martínez gushed last month. “He’s not just a 41-year-old player; he’s a player who’s hungry to improve every day. He’s proving to be an exemplary captain and an inspiration to the younger players, someone who shows the way and embodies our values.”
Ronaldo’s appetite was no doubt diminished by his stomach troubles in midweek, which represent another twist in an uncertain buildup to the World Cup.
Ronaldo’s Pre-World Cup Fixtures
| Date | Fixture | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| April 19 | Al Wasl vs. Al Nassr | AFC Champions League Two quarterfinal |
| April 22 | Al Nassr vs. Al Ahli/Al Hussein* | AFC Champions League Two semifinal |
| April 29 | Al Nassr vs. Al Ahli | Saudi Pro League |
| May 3 | Al Qadsiah vs. Al Nassr | Saudi Pro League |
| May 7 | Al Shabab vs. Al Nassr | Saudi Pro League |
| May 12 | Al Nassr vs. Al Hilal | Saudi Pro League |
| May 17 | Al Nassr vs. Gamba Osaka* | AFC Champions League Two final |
| May 21 | Al Nassr vs. Damac | Saudi Pro League |
| June 6 | Portugal vs. Chile | Friendly |
| June 10 | Portugal vs. Nigeria | Friendly |
*Potential fixture.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cristiano Ronaldo Responds After Vomiting During Al Nassr Victory.
