AL NASSR fans released balloons in support of a former Arsenal man during Cristiano Ronaldo’s debut.
Ronaldo, 37, played his first competitive game for the Saudi Arabian outfit against Ettifaq on Sunday following his £175million-a-year move to the Middle East.
Twitter @ssc_sportsAl Nassr fans released balloons in support of David Ospina[/caption]
GettyHis jersey was released across the stadium with the help of balloons[/caption]
GettyOspina is set to miss up to sixth months with an elbow injury[/caption]
And his new club won the game 1-0 to ensure they remain top of the table with a game in hand on second place Al-Hilal.
But Ronaldo was not the only ex-Premier League player who was shown some love by the Al Nassr supporters.
David Ospina, who spent five years at Arsenal between 2014 and 2019, was celebrated by his own fans after suffering a serious injury.
The 34-year-old, who joined Al Nassr on a free transfer last summer, could be out for up to six months with an elbow problem.
And the Al Nassr fans present for Ronaldo’s highly-anticipated debut decided to honour Ospina with a gesture midway through the first half.
They began chanting his name in the 25th minute – referencing his shirt number.
And then they released several balloons with his jersey attached.
Ospina had played every single minute of Al Nassr’s 13 league games before the Ettifaq clash on Sunday.
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But the injury now means he will be sidelined for a significant period of time, with Nawaf Al-Aqidi replacing him in between the sticks.
Al Nassr have conceded just six goals in their 14 league matches so far this season.
They are bidding to end Al-Hilal’s run of three successive titles, with Al Nassr’s last triumph coming in 2019.