In a triumphant culmination to the Arab Club Championship Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo emerged as the guiding force behind Al-Nassr’s remarkable victory, delivering two crucial goals in the final.
Despite this milestone, a notable subset of fans has expressed dissatisfaction due to Ronaldo’s misuse of an Arabic expression.
A widely circulating video on social media captures Ronaldo expressing gratitude to the fans following the championship triumph. However, the specific Arabic word he used has sparked discussion. Instead of saying ‘shukran,’ which translates to ‘Thank You,’ Ronaldo inadvertently said ‘shukram,’ a small but significant slip.
The slip prompted confusion among fans, raising eyebrows about the accuracy of his usage. Some Saudi fans, in particular, have voiced their disappointment on various social media platforms.
Cristiano Ronaldo to the fans:
“Thank You شكرم ❤️.”
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) August 13, 2023
Their contention lies in the belief that proper use of the language signifies respect, and they argue that Ronaldo should either accurately use Arabic or stick to languages he’s more familiar with.
Yet, there’s a countering sentiment emerging from non-Saudi fans, rallying to Ronaldo’s defense. Their argument revolves around the phonetic similarity between ‘shukran‘ and ‘shukram‘ and the belief that the error is minor, considering his non-native grasp of the language.
In the larger scheme of things, however, most fans remain fixated on Ronaldo’s performance on the field. In a fiercely contested match against fellow Saudi Pro League contender Al-Hilal, his instrumental role in securing victory for Al-Nassr holds the spotlight.
As the echoes of this linguistic misstep reverberate, the focus inevitably remains on Ronaldo’s indelible impact during the championship clash.
Emotional Cristiano Ronaldo tweets a message for fans after historic win for Al-Nassr
Cristiano Ronaldo’s emotions ran high as he celebrated a significant milestone – his first major trophy win with the Saudi club, Al Nassr.
Taking to his Twitter account, the Portuguese forward conveyed his pride, writing, “Extremely proud to help the team winning this important trophy for the 1st time! Thank you to everyone in the club that was involved in this great achievement and to my familly and friends for always being by my side!”
He concluded by writing, “Fantastic support by our fans! This also belongs to you!”
Cristiano Ronaldo comforting Milinkovic-Savic after the game.
Respect. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/kpkIcE1j7O
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) August 13, 2023
Cristiano Ronaldo guided 10-man Al-Nassr to their first-ever Arab Club Champions Cup title. Ronaldo failed to land a trophy last season after his move to Al-Nassr, who finished runners-up in the Saudi Pro League, but the 38-year-old scored six times in the tournament to finish as its top scorer en route to the title.