“Dark Days”

The once-vibrant atmosphere at Al Nassr, fueled by the signing of soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo, has now taken a dark turn. As the team is preparing to face Al Rayyan in a game next weekend in the AFC Champions League group stage, Ronaldo and teammates are grappling with a very disappointing reality. Ticket sales for the Al Nassr vs. Al Rayyan match have been quite sluggish, casting a dark shadow on the team’s prospects.

Following a 2-0 win against Al Wehda in their most recent Saudi Pro League outing, Al Nassr fans had hoped their side would return to winning ways and flex their muscle in the AFC Champions League. But ticket sales indicate that the team’s recent performances have affected fan excitement. Do you have any idea about the ground’s seating capacity and how many tickets the team has sold? Let’s find out.

Despite Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence in their home ground, Al Nassr is struggling to sell tickets for the match with Al Rayyan in Saudi Arabia. The ground, which houses up to 25,000 seats, has sold just 16,000 tickets, leaving a whopping 9,000 tickets unsold. It is quite the turn of events, considering the fanfare with which everyone had expected Ronaldo to land in Saudi Arabia. Al Nassr was hopeful that the arrival of a five-time Ballon d’Or winner would generate enormous gates and revenue. It didn’t happen as planned, but what are the few main reasons behind this? Let’s hear directly from the fans.

Fans want a change in ticket prices along with management

@TheNassrZone shared a tweet post that included a picture of a full stadium, saying, “There are still 9000 tickets that are available for tomorrow’s game. It would be a shame if the stadium isn’t full for the first home game of the Champions League season.”

Fans quickly responded to the post, with mixed feelings of frustration and hope. One fan bluntly stated, “Sorry to say this, but Al Nassr fans have the least amount of passion for football among other top Saudi clubs.” Al Nassr, one of Saudi Arabia’s most popular clubs, tends to rely on a home turnout. While right now it seems like the passion has dimmed, that was not the case last season. Victory Arena was definitely a wall of noise with ‌Cristiano Ronaldo in the last seasons. That energy seems like gone now, however, as the team has put in struggling performances.

“Once we start winning more and Victory Arena reduces the ticket prices, we will get full stadiums each match again,” another fan said. However, it highlights a deeper long-term issue: terrible performance along with high ticket prices. Al Nassr’s management might have to re-plan their PR strategy and how they are going to engage and connect with their fanbase again. With ticket prices rising since Ronaldo’s arrival, most of the Al Nassr fans have been hesitant to spend on tickets.

Another fan summed up the current mood: “Nobody cares about the club anymore. The reason they don’t care is because it’s obvious we’re not winning anything at all.” We have all seen Al Nassr struggling in recent important matches. As a legend playing in a squad, fans expect victories, moments to cherish, and a feeling that the team is progressing. What are your thoughts on this?