April 9th 2024.
Cristiano Ronaldo had a night to forget as his team, Al-Nassr, faced off against Al-Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons as his team fell to a 2-1 defeat in a heated match.
With just a few minutes left on the clock, and Al-Nassr trailing 2-0, tempers flared on the field. Ronaldo got into a physical altercation with Al-Hilal defender Ali Al-Bulaihi after he prevented the Portuguese star from taking a quick throw-in. The veteran forward lost his cool and elbowed Al-Bulaihi in the chest and neck, causing chaos between the two teams.
Fortunately, Ronaldo's teammate and former Manchester City player Aymeric Laporte stepped in to try and calm the situation. However, moments later, the 39-year-old was shown a red card and appeared to be on the verge of completely losing his temper. He even raised his fist towards the referee before regaining his composure.
Sadio Mane scored a late goal for Al-Hilal after Ronaldo's sending off, but it was too little too late as Al-Hilal secured their spot in the final. In the post-match press conference, Al-Hilal manager Jorge Jesus suggested that Ronaldo's behavior may have been due to his lack of experience in losing matches.
According to Jesus, "Cristiano is not accustomed to losing during his career. It is natural for him to lose his temper when he loses, as well as to lose emotional and mental focus in matches in which he loses." This statement was in response to a video that circulated on social media showing Ronaldo attempting to punch the referee with the ball.
In the other semi-final match, Karim Benzema's quick goal helped Al-Ittihad beat Al-Wedha and secure a spot in the final. The match also saw the fastest ever goal in the Saudi Super Cup, breaking a record set in 2013.
The final between Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad will take place on Thursday evening at the Al Nahyan Stadium. And later that night, the fight for third place will be held at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium. It will certainly be an exciting night for football fans.
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