Despite the presence of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, Riyadh Victory’s home match against Al-Batin in the opening round of the 2024-25 Saudi Professional League season saw a dismal turnout. Only 8,000 fans showed up, resulting in a large number of empty seats in the stadium.
Reports indicate that the low attendance stems from fan dissatisfaction with the team’s recent performance, particularly their crushing defeat to Al-Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup, which fell short of expectations. Fans are expressing their protest, believing that the team’s performance, excluding Ronaldo, has been subpar.
While Ronaldo has excelled on the field, becoming the league’s top scorer last season and breaking the single-season goal-scoring record, the team’s early season slump has led to a protest from fans despite Ronaldo’s popularity. The team’s losses in crucial matches have left fans disheartened, further exacerbated by managerial changes and internal turmoil.
Head Coach Castro’s position is currently precarious, and he could be sacked at any moment.
Unless the team can quickly improve its performance, fans have stated they will continue to boycott attending matches. Although Ronaldo possesses a strong personal following, the lack of overall team success may prove difficult to overcome, potentially dampening fan enthusiasm.
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