Why I substituted Ronaldo at half-time – Postecoglou

n n

Al-Nassr manager Ange Postecoglou has explained his decision to substitute Cristiano Ronaldo at half-time during his side’s dramatic comeback victory over Al-Ettifaq.

n

Ronaldo, 41, made his first start since the World Cup but was taken off at the break with Al-Nassr trailing 2-0 and down to 10 men.

n

The Portuguese forward appeared frustrated as he left the pitch, spreading his arms in a questioning gesture towards the bench.

n

However, Postecoglou’s decision ultimately paid off as Al-Nassr staged a remarkable second-half comeback.

n

Sadio Mane and Abdulelah Al Amri scored within three minutes to bring the defending Saudi Pro League champions level before Mane struck again in added time to complete the 3-2 victory.

n

As reported by BBC Sport on Wednesday, explaining his decision, Postecoglou said he believed the players introduced at half-time could make a greater impact under the circumstances.

n

“When I made the substitutions, including taking Ronaldo off, I believed the players coming on could make an impact,” Postecoglou said.

n

The Australian manager said every substitute contributed positively to the comeback.

n

“I came here to help the players, so as I said, I’m proud of them because every substitute made a positive contribution,” he added.

n

Postecoglou also praised Ronaldo’s first-half performance despite deciding to replace him.

n

“I’m here to help the team with what I see, and everyone knows that Ronaldo hasn’t played in a long time,” he said.

n

“He performed exceptionally well in the first half, and we opted for a different approach.”

n

The victory maintained Al-Nassr’s perfect start to the season, with three wins from three matches moving them to the top of the Saudi Pro League table.

n

Postecoglou took charge of Al-Nassr last month after previously managing Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest.

n

For Ronaldo, the match came during what could be the final season of his illustrious playing career.

n

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has indicated that he is likely to retire after the campaign as he looks to spend more time with his family.

n n