Last night, Al Nassr played their first Group E game of the AFC Champions League against Persepolis. As expected, the match ended in favor of Cristiano Ronaldo and Co., who managed to clinch the much-needed victory. But just moments after their win, the visitors were quickly forced to leave Iran. Meanwhile, the victory came after both sides were forced to play at a ‘circus without clowns’.

However, why did the Riyadh-based club leave the country in haste?

Why Al Nassr was forced to leave Iran after their win

Al Nassr kept their winning streak alive as they managed to beat Persepolis 2-0. After enduring a stalemate first half, goals came in the second half, thanks to an own goal from the Persepolis right-back. Ten minutes later, in the 72nd minute, Al Nassr’s left-back, Mohammed Qassem doubled the score.

As the home side couldn’t manage to conjure up anything, the match ended in the visitors’ favor. However, just minutes after their win, the whole Al Nassr team was forced to pack their things and catch the earliest flight back to Riyadh. Well, the reason why Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates were compelled to catch a late-night flight was due to their fixture congestion. Apparently, on September 22, Al Nassr would need to play their Roshan Saudi League fixture against Al Ahli.

Hence, this gives them no reason to spend even a second in Iran as they eventually flew back to their homeland to prepare for the upcoming game. Despite suffering from fatigue, Ronaldo managed to play the full 90 minutes. Other than the squad traveling back as soon as possible, there was something else that was unusual, too. Let’s dive deeper.

CR7 will be making every effort to rest as much as possible in preparation for the crucial match against Al Ahli. Indeed, the Portuguese superstar’s dedication appears to have inspired the entire team. Meanwhile, Ronaldo had to play in a ‘circus without clowns’. But what does that mean?

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An interesting take by Cristiano Ronaldo

In 2020, when the pandemic swept across the globe, soccer matches were compelled to be held in closed stadiums. This situation didn’t sit well with Ronaldo, who offered an interesting perspective on what it feels like to play in an empty stadium. He said, “Playing without fans is like going to the circus and not seeing clowns.” Notably, the Portuguese star was with Italian giants Juventus at that time.

Interestingly, last night’s match presented a similar scenario for the 38-year-old. Unfortunately, due to a one-match stadium ban, both sides were forced to compete behind closed doors. Nevertheless, even in the absence of ardent supporters, Al Nassr managed to secure a victory.

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