Why can't Ronaldo go to Iran?

Ronaldo is not injured, absent due to fear of crazy fans

According to AS (Spain): "The fact that Ronaldo was not included in Al Nassr's squad for the trip to Tehran (Iran) to meet Esteghlal FC, may be due to concerns about the player's safety after a series of incidents of crazy fans breaking into the hotel that happened here in September 2023".

Ronaldo has decided not to risk a trip to Iran, after the incident in 2023

Al Nassr will face Esteghlal FC in the first leg of the AFC Champions League Elite Round of 16 at Azadi Stadium on March 3 at 11 p.m. The return leg will be played on March 11 (Vietnam time).

This is also the tournament where Ronaldo has the greatest hope of winning his first official championship, after more than 2 years of playing in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, in the Saudi Pro League, Al Nassr has been pushed down to 4th place by its opponents, 10 points behind the top team Al Ittihad after 23 rounds. Previously, Ronaldo's team also failed in the goals of winning the King's Cup and Super Cup in the 2024-2025 season.

Ronaldo is keen to play in the AFC Champions League Elite knockout rounds to boost Al Nassr's chances of winning the title.

After the result against Iran's Esteghlal FC, the Saudi Arabian team's management realized that the 40-year-old Portuguese star would have difficulty playing the first leg away, so they asked the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) to move to a neutral stadium.

However, AFC rejected Al Nassr's request, keeping the first leg match in Tehran (Iran). Therefore, Al Nassr had to leave Ronaldo at home to avoid any bad risks.

During a trip here in September 2023, also competing in the AFC Champions League Elite, Ronaldo and Al Nassr Club experienced many terrifying moments, when many Iranian fans ran after the team bus, stormed the hotel to ask for autographs. Security to protect Ronaldo and the Al Nassr players was tightened at that time, but the incident still happened. Even disrupted the match.

"Officials hope that this year's match will be better protected, but Ronaldo decided not to take any risks in the first leg. He will be rested and wait to play in the return leg on March 11," AS said.

Without Ronaldo, Al Nassr still brought their best star players to Iran such as Sadio Mane, Jhon Duran and Marcelo Brozovic. Therefore, they will still hope to gain an advantage against Esteghlal FC in the first leg, before returning home to complete their place in the quarter-finals and brighten their chances of winning the championship.

In the same bracket, if they continue to the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite, Ronaldo and Al Nassr could face opponents in Saudi Arabia such as Al Hilal or Al Ahli.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/vi-sao-ronaldo-khong-the-den-iran-185250303083227474.htm