Cristiano Ronaldo made his debut for Al-Nassr on Saturday, with the former Manchester United forward starring as his side secured a narrow 1-0 win against Ettifaq FC.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was delayed in making his debut for his new club, with an FA ban carrying over in his move to the Middle East. This left anticipation high for the 37-year-old's bow and unlike at Old Trafford, he was handed the captain's armband with immediate effect.
Manager Rudi Garcia made the decision to hand the captain's armband to Ronaldo immediately, leaving Abudullah Madu to lose out. Madu has won three Saudi Pro League titles at the club, becoming somewhat of a club legend. However, he did not appear to have any ill feeling as he sent a positive message to Ronaldo after the match.
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Ronaldo posted to his Instagram page after the match, the Portuguese forward said: “First game, first win - well done guys. Thanks to all the fans for incredible support.” Madu responded to this with blue and yellow heart emojis to represent the club's colours to show his support for Ronaldo.
This is in contrast to Ronaldo and United club captain Harry Maguire, who were often seen to be distant during their time together in Manchester, with reports that Ronaldo called for Maguire to be 'demoted' from the role. However, things appear to be far more harmonious for Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia and Anderson Talisca's goal in the win has set him on the way for a positive spell in the country.
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