Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr kicked off their AFC Champions League journey with a resounding victory over Persepolis. Al Alami departed from the away country in the early hours following the game. Just before their departure, the Saudi side coach expressed his sadness to leave the country. He claimed that he had heard ‘wonderful things’ about the nation.

Al Alami made a solid impression in their Asian Champions League’s away fixture. However, a historic agreement between the Iranian and Saudi Arabian soccer federation paved the way for the success of this game, ending an eight-year hiatus. Both countries could finally host each other in their respective stadiums, turning this fixture into a highly anticipated occasion.

Al Alami’s boss was ‘sad’ to leave Iran

Knights of Najd extended their winning streak with a 2-0 triumph against the Iranian side. The Saudi squad’s endurance would be further challenged due to the fixture congestion in the Saudi Pro League. Ronaldo’s side would go up against Al Ahli in just under 48 hours after the AFC CL tie. However, Luis Castro, Al Nassr’s coach, regretted their premature exit from Iran.

Castro held admiration for this Middle Eastern country and was captivated by the remarkable aspects that illuminated the nation. The Portuguese coach remarked in an interview, “Iran is a wonderful country and I am sad because I am leaving today. I have heard wonderful things about it and I wish them the best”. Meanwhile, this AFC CL fixture had immense significance in Asian soccer. But why? Let’s dive deeper.

It was a long wait for Saudi Arabian teams, including CR7’s squad to play any match in Iran. Soccer fans of Saudi Arabia and Iran could finally witness the teams play in each other’s stadium with this new Asian Champions League edition. What had happened?

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Cristiano Ronaldo-led Al Nassr played in Iran after eight years

Saudi Arabian and Iranian teams didn’t play home and away games against each other for decades. Instead, the clubs used to play each other on neutral grounds like Doha and Dubai since 2015. The diplomatic tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia in those years resulted in such decisions. According to reports, Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahain, recently visited Saudi Arabia after an eight-year gap.

This contributed to improving diplomatic relations between both the Middle East nations. The governing bodies, in conjunction with the AFC, allowed matches to take in either of the countries. Consequently, this would be a fantastic opportunity for the Iranian fans to spectate all the European superstars from SPL who joined this season as the AFC CL fixtures move ahead.

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What was your take on Castro’s regard for Iran in his interview? Comment below and let us know.