Ronaldo rejects trip to Tehran – chaos and security concerns!

Ronaldo rejects trip to Tehran – chaos and security concerns!

Saudi football club al-Nassr is at the center of a volatile dispute over an upcoming Asian Champions League game against Esteghlal Tehran on March 3. The reason for the controversy: Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo refuses to travel to Iran after having bad experiences in the past. How oe24 Reportedly, an incident in September last year during a match against Persepolis Tehran resulted in thousands of fans storming al-Nassr's hotel and harassing the Portuguese player. The chaotic scenes only ended with violent police intervention.

In an official letter, al-Nassr requested that the game be played on neutral ground to protect Ronaldo from possible attacks. However, this request was contradicted by both Iran's association president Mehdi Taj and Esteghlal Tehran. According to Esteghlal's press department, all necessary measures have been taken to guarantee al-Nassr a safe stay, which should not jeopardize preparations for the home game. The sports portal Varzesh3 reported that Esteghlal insists on hosting the game in Tehran and does not want to commit to a neutral venue Daily Mirror executed.