Shots fired at Cristiano Ronaldo? Ex-Al-Nassr star Anderson Talisca claims fans are 'afraid to say where the mistake is' at Saudi club as he defends 'great player' Jhon Duran

Talisca had been a key figure at Al-Nassr since joining in 2021 but was unceremoniously shown the door when the club decided to make room for Jhon Duran, securing the Colombian forward from Aston Villa for a record-breaking £64 million in January - the highest transfer fee ever spent in the Saudi Pro League. The new recruit made a strong impact, netting four goals in his first three matches. But his early form has not been enough to prevent Al-Nassr from slipping in the title race, as the team suffered two losses in their last three league outings.

With Al-Nassr now nine points adrift of league leaders Al-Ittihad, tensions have been running high among supporters. Following the team’s 2-1 loss to Al-Orobah on Friday, a fan page on X (formerly Twitter) criticised Duran, questioning whether he was the right fit for the squad.

Talisca, who now plays for Fenerbahce in Turkey, swiftly jumped to the Colombian’s defence, responding: "He is a great player and will do a lot for this club. The problem is that you always want to find someone to blame for the defeats, but you don’t see where the real mistake lies. Stop acting like this all the time. You know where the mistake is, you're just afraid to say it, lol.”

In a follow-up post, Talisca added: “And on top of that, you want to do to Duran what they did to me, to benefit others.”

His cryptic remarks quickly fuelled speculation among fans, with many interpreting them as a subtle jab at Ronaldo.

Since arriving in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo has been the focal point of Al-Nassr’s attack, but his form has dipped in recent matches. The Portuguese star failed to find the net in the team’s Saudi Pro League loss to Al-Orobah and was rested in the recent AFC Champions League clash against Esteghlal, a match that ended in a disappointing 0-0 draw. With Al-Nassr struggling for consistency, questions are being raised about whether the team’s over-reliance on Ronaldo is hindering their overall performance.

Talisca’s remarks seem to suggest that rather than blaming new signings like Duran, fans should be looking elsewhere for the true cause of Al-Nassr’s struggles. Though he did not explicitly mention Ronaldo, the timing of his comments combined with the Portuguese forward’s recent goal drought - has led many to draw their own conclusions.

Ronaldo will have the chance to silence his critics when Al-Nassr face Al-Shabab on Friday evening in their next Saudi Pro League fixture.