Cristiano Ronaldo (39) once again proved his talent by scoring in his first match under new Al Nassr coach Stefano Pioli. In the match against Al-Ettifaq, Ronaldo opened the scoring from the penalty spot, contributing to a convincing 0-3 victory. But one particular gesture during his celebration caught the eye.
As he scored, Ronaldo raised three fingers to the stands, a dedication to his eldest son, Cristiano Junior, who was in the crowd. The gesture was actually a form of family celebration, as his son had also shone earlier in the day, scoring twice for his youth team Al Nassr. Together, they had a hattrick, a meaning the youngster clearly understood with a broad smile.
Ronaldo’s opener also galvanised his team-mates. In the second half, Al Najdi and Talisca added to the score, rounding off an ideal match for Pioli, who recently left AC Milan. The win allowed Al Nassr to move closer to the top of the Saudi Pro League table, a season that had not lived up to expectations, with only 5 points out of 9 so far. The club’s management had therefore taken the decision to replace coach Luis Castro with Pioli in the hope of winning the coveted title in Saudi Arabia.
Ronaldo, Pioli and their team will hope that this victory will be the springboard to a winning run in the championship and the continental competitions to come.
