David Beauguel, the goal scorer who helped Al Wehda win 1-0 against Al Nassr in the King Cup semifinals, felt disrespected by Cristiano Ronaldo when he asked to exchange shirts.
After the match on April 24th, Beauguel approached Ronaldo to request a shirt swap. He has been a fan of the Portuguese forward since he was young. However, Ronaldo responded with indifference, showing a dismissive attitude towards the star from Al Nassr.
“I was a bit disappointed,” Beauguel recounted to L’Equipe (France). “At the end of the game, I told him that I was his fan and wanted to exchange shirts. He shook my hand without even looking at me, with a very disdainful expression.”
Faced with Ronaldo’s attitude, Beauguel remained silent. “I still remember the videos of him that I used to watch at school,” Beauguel said. “I understand that he was disappointed after the loss, that he is a player hungry for victory, but his attitude surprised me. Even on the field, he showed annoyance and shouted at his teammates.”
In the King Cup semifinals, Al Nassr dominated the game. However, Al Wehda capitalized on better opportunities. In the 23rd minute, Beauguel scored the only goal of the match with a volley, securing the away team’s place in the final against Al Hilal. The team that wins the King Cup will represent Saudi Arabia in the upcoming AFC Champions League season.
Ronaldo’s reaction after the loss to Al Wehda.
During the 90 minutes of play, Ronaldo often displayed his frustration when his shots missed. After the match, he had a heated argument with a member of the coaching staff on the sideline. In a previous match against Al Hilal, he also surprised everyone by tripping an opponent. According to former defender Christophe Jallet, Ronaldo is damaging his legendary status and becoming a hated figure in Saudi Arabia.
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Al Nassr is also struggling in the Saudi Pro League. Ronaldo and his teammates currently sit in second place with 53 points from 24 matches, trailing the league leaders Al Ittihad by three points and having played one more game. If they fail to win the Saudi Pro League, Al Nassr will miss out on the final AFC Champions League spot. They also suffered a 1-3 defeat to Al Ittihad in the Saudi Arabian Super Cup semifinals on January 26th.
Ronaldo joined Al Nassr in January 2023 on a contract that expires in June 2025. The 38-year-old forward has scored 11 goals in 14 matches.