Hundreds of supporters chased the Al-Nassr bus when it arrived in Iran to welcome Cristiano Ronaldo, and they later surrounded the team’s hotel to see him.
Tuesday night’s inaugural AFC Champions League group stage match between the Saudi Arabian team and Tehran-based Persepolis has been met with a warm welcome.
Videos posted on Al-Nassr’s X feed showed fans chasing after the coach of the yellow squad as anticipation for the match reached a fever pitch.
As the Portuguese superstar gets ready to play in the Iranian capital, young and old supporters were seen holding up Ronaldo posters and donning Ronaldo apparel.
Hundreds of local supporters can be seen flooding into the hotel lobby where Al-Nassr is staying in other social media footage while yelling “Ronaldo, Ronaldo.”
Security guards led Ronaldo to his room at the Espinas Palace in Tehran, where the rest of the Al-Nassr team and their personnel soon followed.
A suite has been secured for Ronaldo on the full floor designated for the Al-Nassr celebration.
Soon after landing at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Airport, in a slightly less crowded scene, Ronaldo was given a traditional Persian rug and appeared ecstatic about the gift.The Al-Nassr party will also receive special SIM cards, which will enable them to access the internet without limitations while they are visiting.
Iranian nationals are unable to do this due to the blocking of tens of thousands of websites, as well as social media and all international messaging services.However, the locals are disappointed that Tuesday’s game at the 78,000-seat Aazdi Stadium will take place behind closed doors.This relates to Persepolis receiving a one-match stadium suspension for a social media post prior to their match against Indian team FC. The now-deleted article encouraged their squad ahead of the group stage matches with Goa by referencing Iran’s invasion of India (in 1738–1740) and other conflicts between the two nations.People in India took offense at the message, and their football association officially complained to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), who punished Persepolis with a suspension.
Due to their misfortune, the ban will now be enforced in time for Al-Nassr and Ronaldo’s arrival because they didn’t participate in any European competitions last season.Persepolis supporters have recently left regretful comments on FC Goa’s Instagram postings in an effort to have the ban lifted at the last minute.However, the match will currently be played without any spectators present, which could account for the bizarre events that occurred when Al-Nassr came.The first Saudi club to visit Iran in seven years is Al-Nassr. The two nations’ relations have frequently been tense, but in March, China struck a deal that improved relations.
It happened as five American detainees who were wanted by the US left Tehran on Monday as part of an agreement that saw the unfreezing of over $6 billion [£4.85 billion] in Iranian assets.
Despite the agreement, tensions between the two nations are still high due to a number of disagreements, including Tehran’s nuclear program.