'Where's Piers Morgan?': Al-Nassr boss Garcia sparks frenzy over Ronaldo jibe after Saudi Super Cup exit

Rudi Garcia, the manager of Al-Nassr, has demonstrated that he isn't scared to criticise his new superstar player by claiming that Cristiano Ronaldo's squandered opportunity had a significant role in their Saudi Super Cup loss against Al-Ittihad.

Despite making his official Al-Nassr debut over the weekend, Ronaldo was unable to make a significant difference as his team lost 3-1 to Al-Ittihad, thanks to goals from Romarinho, Hamdallah, and Al-Shaqeeti.

However, right before halftime, the Portugal talisman sprung into action, rising high into the air and deflecting a strong header at goal, only to be stopped by Grohe. Al-Ittihad then quickly advanced up the other end to make it 2-0 only 28 seconds later, giving Ronaldo and company a steep uphill battle.

Also read: Messi fans troll Ronaldo after failing to score again as Al-Nassr get knocked out of Saudi Super Cup

"One of the things that changed the course of the match was Cristiano Ronaldo's missed opportunity in the first half," Garcia assessed after the game.

"I congratulate Al-Ittihad. They presented a much better first half than us, and we played a good second half, but unfortunately, we were not able to adjust the result. It's true that we regret losing the Super Cup, but we are still the first in the league," the Frenchman added.

Ronaldo also feared an injury when he fell to the ground clutching his ankle, but he was thankfully able to continue. The former Manchester United will hope to score his first goal for Al-Nassr next Friday when they take on Al-Fateh in the Saudi Pro League.

Meanwhile, football enthusiasts have reacted to Garcia's latest comments indirectly suggesting Ronaldo's miss cost them a place in the Saudi Super Cup final, with most Twitter users sarcastically indicating that another Piers Morgan interview is in the pipeline. 

In November last year, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner stirred a massive outburst after his 90-minute explosive interview with Piers Morgan, where he slammed Man United and Erik ten Hag. The interview led to a mutual termination of the 37-year-old's contract at Old Trafford, making him a free agent. In the last week of December, after the World Cup 2022, Ronaldo signed a deal with Al-Nassr for 175 million pounds per year until 2025.

Here's a look at how Twitter reacted to Garcia's comments on Ronaldo's missed chance against Al-Ittihad: