Al-Nassr manager Ange Postecoglou has explained what lay behind Cristiano Ronaldo's fury during the match against Al-Ettifaq. The Australian insists the Portuguese captain's outburst between the two halves had nothing to do with a technical decision or an internal dispute. The reason was simpler: Al-Nassr were two goals down when they were chasing the win.
Speaking at the press conference ahead of Friday's fourth-round Roshn League clash with Al-Taawoun, Postecoglou said: "I understand that Cristiano is a personality everyone wants to know everything about, but it is impossible for me to reveal any secrets."
"Ronaldo was angry between the two halves because we were trailing," he added, "but in the dressing room after the match, and on the bus, he was dancing and singing, and he was in the midst of the players."
Far from signalling a crisis within the squad, the coach argued, Ronaldo's anger reflected the Portuguese star's passion and burning desire to win. Al-Nassr were up against it too, reduced to ten men after goalkeeper Bento's sending-off and trailing by two.
"Believe me, he is passionate about football and passionate about Al-Nassr, and he was angry because things were not going as required between the two halves, and this is a natural matter," Postecoglou said, stressing that what the player showed on the pitch was a natural reflection of his competitive character and nothing to worry about.
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The manager also addressed why he took Ronaldo off at the start of the second half. It was all planned. The forward's minutes had been mapped out to manage his physical readiness as he eased his way back into matches after a spell out.
"Ronaldo is a distinguished person as an athlete, and for us against Al-Ettifaq it was planned for him to play 45 minutes because he had returned gradually, and before that he had played 30 minutes," Postecoglou said, confirming the substitution had nothing to do with the striker's anger or his performance and everything to do with the plan set in advance.
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Ronaldo's physical condition has since changed, the coach explained, with the player feeling a clear improvement in his sharpness. "He now feels, in terms of fitness, that he is better and able to play a full match," Postecoglou said, hinting that Ronaldo's minutes could rise in the coming period.
The comments draw a line under the speculation that surrounded Ronaldo's fury against Al-Ettifaq. Footage had shown him agitated during the game and after the first half, before Al-Nassr pulled off a historic comeback, turning a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 win.