"He needs to leave", "Biggest flop signing" - Fans rip into Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr teammate after draw against Al-Taawoun

Al-Nassr fans on X have slammed Cristiano Ronaldo's teammate Jhon Duran after he struggled to make an impact during their 1-1 draw against Al-Taawoun. The two sides locked horns in the Saudi Pro League at Al-Awwal Park on Friday, May 16.

Cristiano Ronaldo missed his second consecutive SPL fixture after he was excluded from the matchday squad by Stefano Pioli due to technical reasons. Fortunately for the hosts, Otavio stepped up in the second half, breaking the deadlock in the 51st minute with an excellent header. However, Al-Taawoun's Roger Martinez found the bottom left corner in the 70th minute to seal a point for his side.

Duran was entrusted to lead the line in place of Ronaldo, playing all 90 minutes. However, the 21-year-old failed to be clinical in front of goal, creating zero chances, and landing three shots on target from an attempted five, missing three big chances in the process.

One Al-Nassr fan posted:

"80 million for Duran is DISGUSTING. he needs to leave"

Expand Tweet

Another fan tweeted:

"Jhon Duran is the biggest flop signing this season tf"

Expand Tweet

Other fans reacted below:

"Who else thinks that Jhon Duran is a clown," one fan commented

"As I say again, Ayman Yahya has been the main contributor than Duran. Duran needs to be in the list of players that needs to be sold next season," another added

"Duran missed 3 big chances," one fan typed

"This is a premier league player? He couldn’t even get the ball off the ground," another questioned

"Al nassr need to sell Duran," one fan insisted

"The absence of Ronaldo and Simakan was significant” - Al-Nassr boss Stefano Pioli makes Cristiano Ronaldo admission following Al-Taawoun draw

Al-Nassr manager Stefano Pioli has admitted his side felt the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Simakan following their 1-1 draw against Al-Taawoun. Despite dominating possession (63 percent), the Knights of Najd missed seven big chances, as they dropped points for the third time in their last five league games.

During the post-match press conference, Pioli said (via @TheNassrZone on X):

“We're not looking for excuses, but the absence of Ronaldo and Simakan was significant. I cannot talk about the team's weaknesses now. We will look into these matters after the end of the season.”

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr remain fourth in the SPL table with 64 points from 32 games and are likely to miss out on next season's AFC Champions League. Meanwhile, Al-Ittihad recently secured the title, garnering 77 points from 32 games.

Disclaimer: The above stats were taken from FotMob on May 17, 2025, at 2:50 AM IST. They are subject to change.

About the author

Silas has been a European and international football writer at Sportskeeda for 2 years. A Computer Applications graduate, he is a versatile writer who conducts in-depth research and verifies information from multiple sources to ensure complete accuracy in his articles. Silas was introduced to the beautiful game back in 2008, watching the Premier League on television.

Silas is a Liverpool supporter through and through and admires everything about the club – it’s history, culture, style of play, and all of its iconic players and managers. His favorite player is Steven Gerrard, who was also one of the primary reasons to get interested in football and support Liverpool.

Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Jurgen Klopp, who transformed the Reds from a mid-table club to Premier League champions. Liverpool’s fourth goal in their 4-0 win over Barcelona, scored by Divock Origi after the iconic ‘corner taken quickly’ moment from Trent Alexander-Arnold, holds a special place in Silas’ heart.

Apart from Europe’s top five leagues, he also follows Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League. When not writing, he indulges in reading, traveling, fitness and gaming.

Know More

Edited by Silas Sud