Why was Cristiano Ronaldo Taken Off At Half Time In Al Nassr vs Al Ettifaq?

Al Nassr completed an incredible comeback from being a man and two goals down in the first half to win 3-2 in the 90th minute against Al Ettifaq, that too away from home, to write one of the most famous fairy-tale comebacks in the history of the Saudi Pro League.

Bento Krepski, the goalkeeper, was given the marching orders in the 12th minute following a challenge on Moussa Dembele just outside the box when the striker was completely alone and through on goal.

Things went from bad to worse as Al Nassr's 18-year-old second goalkeeper, Abdulrahman Al Otaibi, who was handed his debut in such an awkward situation, spilled two easy saves to give the hosts an added advantage in the first half itself.

However, the team managed to come back late in the second half, through goals from Sadio Mané and Abdulellah Al Amri. You might think that one of the greatest footballers of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo, might have played some part in all this chaos that unfolded in the Al Nassr vs Al Ettifaq game, but on the contrary, the Portuguese made the headlines for a different issue altogether.

Ronaldo was substituted just after the first half, as Abdullah Al-Hamdan was seen replacing him in the 46th minute. So why was Cristiano substituted? Let's find out.

Cristiano Ronaldo Subbed Off at Half-Time in a Chaotic Game Against Al Ettifaq

We know by now that when it matters the most, players like Cristiano Ronaldo are a boon for any club in the world. The player has single-handedly won so many matches for the clubs he has played for, even when the odds were totally against him.

However, the scene that unfolded today was something very unlikely. The Portuguese legend was seen fuming as he walked off the pitch into the tunnel at half-time, which didn't sit well with many of the fans.

Many speculate that this might be the reason for the Cristiano Ronaldo substitution. Meanwhile, the Al Nassr manager has explained why was Cristiano substituted. According to Ange Postecoglou, he believed that the players he wanted to put on the field in the second half could make more of an impact in the game.

He also added that each of his substitutions worked in his favour, which ultimately turned the match around. However, the question that lingers is whether Cristiano Ronaldo was taken off for his actions in the half-time interval or was it purely a tactical decision?

We might not get the answer to that, but we did see his replacement, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, bring that energy to the field, where he chased every ball and fought every duel with all he had. Postecoglou might have identified this in the first half and therefore decided to bring in some fresh energy into the field.

The legendary forward was not even on the field for the customary celebration with the fans at the end of the game, which is generally led by the captain himself after every game.

Cristiano Ronaldo might not be at full fitness yet, and the club management would definitely not want to risk an injury by overplaying him when he is so close to a historic 1000-goal record. In the end, the team winning is all that matters for every party involved, which should put any further rumours to bed for the betterment of the team in the long run.