Al Nassr was about to become champion of Saudi Arabia, but Al Hilal equalized in the 90+9th minute, and this is how the sheikhs took out their frustration in the stands.
The dramatic 1-1 draw between Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal temporarily denied Cristiano Ronaldo the chance to celebrate the Saudi Pro League title and unleashed an unprecedented brawl in the VIP stands of Al-Awwal Park stadium. Al-Nassr was on the verge of the long-awaited title thanks to a goal from Mohamed Simakan, but an unbelievable blunder in the 98th minute by Brazilian goalkeeper Bento —who let an aerial ball slip through his hands after a throw-in— caused the decisive own goal. This catastrophic play caused deep frustration for the Portuguese star, who watched the outcome helplessly from the bench after being substituted.
The fury of the Al-Hilal fans ignited immediately and they began throwing their flagpoles toward the rival club’s exclusive premium section. Far from seeking shelter, the sheikhs and senior Al-Nassr executives responded violently by using their own traditional canes to strike the fans through the dividing glass. The scandal escalated internationally because, amid the blows and the widespread tension, one of the local officials devoted himself to defiantly filming the faces of the aggressors with his cell phone.
Despite this chaotic end to the matchday, Cristiano Ronaldo’s team remains the outright leader of the tournament with a five-point advantage. The official title will be decided on the thrilling final matchday of the Saudi Arabian football championship, where the Portuguese star’s squad will seek to be crowned against Damac. For their part, Al-Hilal’s management will try to keep the pressure on until the end in their two remaining matches, although the disgraceful incident between the sheikhs and the fans in the stands has already been recorded as one of the darkest moments of the season.
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