Al Nassr's return to the AFC Champions League Elite has turned into a crisis. A 4-0 defeat away to Al-Ain on Tuesday, September 15, was the club's worst result of the season and has triggered serious questions about the direction of the squad under coach Ange Postecoglou.

The scale of the loss was damaging enough on its own, but the fallout has made things worse. Saudi sports media turned on Postecoglou immediately, with prominent journalist Mohammed Al-Anzi calling the performance shameful and demanding the Australian's dismissal. Postecoglou pushed back at his post-match press conference, clashing with a Saudi journalist and defending Cristiano Ronaldo against criticism in unusually sharp terms.

Ronaldo himself has become a focal point of the debate. The Portuguese forward was widely criticised for his body language during the defeat, and broadcaster Saud Al-Sarami has since claimed that Ronaldo could leave the club in the January transfer window. Postecoglou publicly defended him, but the questions around the 41-year-old's form and future are unlikely to go away.

Despite the continental setback, Al Nassr sit third in the Saudi Pro League with 16 points from seven games, level with Al Qadsiah and one point behind leaders Al Ittihad. The next league fixture is at home to Al Diriyah on October 9, which gives the squad some time to regroup, but pressure on Postecoglou is already building.