Al-Nassr coach Jorge Jesus revealed the reason behind substituting Cristiano Ronaldo in Friday’s match against Al-Najma, denying him a potential hat-trick against the bottom-ranked Saudi Pro League team.
Ronaldo scored twice in Al-Nassr’s 5-2 victory, which allowed them to maintain their lead in the Saudi Pro League standings and temporarily extend their advantage over second-placed Al-Hilal to six points.
“We preferred to rest Ronaldo, especially after we took a two-goal lead,” Jesus told Saudi media after the match. “If the score had been tied, he would have continued until the end.”
He added, “He has a highly professional mentality and isn’t a selfish player. He could have gone for a hat-trick, but he prioritized the team’s interests and decided to come off to rest.”
Thanks to his brace, Ronaldo raised his goal tally this season to 23, narrowing the gap with the Saudi Pro League’s top scorer, Ivan Toni, to just two goals.
The Portuguese international commented on his two goals after the match, saying, “It’s great to be back again; we’re moving forward together.”
It’s worth noting that the 40-year-old missed Al-Nassr’s last three matches due to injury and was also unable to participate with the Portuguese national team during the recent international break.
