Al-Ittihad fans beg club to sign Lionel Messi with sign while continuing to troll Cristiano Ronaldo
- Al-Ittihad hosted Al-Nassr on Thursday
- Fans chanted Messi's name during Ronaldo's warm-up
- One supporter begged Al-Ittihad to sign Argentine
WHAT HAPPENED? The Saudi Pro League's top two sides met on Thursday with just two points separating the pair. As Al-Nassr's players stepped out in King Abdullah Sports City stadium to warm up, the appearance of Ronaldo sparked jeers from the Al-Ittihad fans, who chose to chant Messi's name in an attempt to put the Portugal star off his game.
الجماهيري الاتحادية تطلق صافراتها الاستهجان وتردد اسم #ميسي عند نزول كرستيانو #رونالدو
— الميدان الرياضي (@MidanAlYaum) March 9, 2023
من: @saleh_B_almalki #الميدان | #الاتحاد_النصر | #دوري_روشن_السعودي pic.twitter.com/KfkGGwkA0Q
THE BIGGER PICTURE: That wasn't the only thing linking the home supporters and the Paris Saint-Germain forward. One member of the Al-Ittihad faithful was pictured outside the stadium begging Messi to join the club, as rumours about his next destination rage on.
احد جماهير #الاتحاد يحمل لافتة لـ صورة النجم العالمي " مــيسي " #الاتحاد_النصر#النصر_الاتحاد pic.twitter.com/VlQ7xU5elh
— علاء سعيد (@alaa_saeed88) March 9, 2023
WHAT NEXT? Naturally, it's not the first time Ronaldo's eternal sporting rival has been used against him at his new home. The 38-year-old will have done his best to drown out the noise ahead of a top-of-the-table clash, before his side host Abha in the Champions Cup on Tuesday.