source: NANA KWEKU BOSOMTWI
Be a star, and you are the one the World looks up to see, however far. Portuguese superstar footballer and arguably the most famous Portuguese since the birth of the country, Cristiano Ronaldo, will rip a crowd even in Heaven. He was the cynosure in Tehran, a part of the World one will associate with religionism more than a Ronaldo-craze, as his team Al Nassr arrived for a champions league match in Tehran.
This marks the first time that Ronaldo has set foot in the Islamic Republic.
Videos circulating on social media showed the massive gathering of fans outside the Espinas Palace Hotel in Tehran, where Al Nassr is lodged. In one video, young men could be seen emulating Ronaldo’s iconic “Siu” celebration near the hotel.
A separate video captured a large crowd inside the hotel, enthusiastically cheering and recording on their mobile phones as Ronaldo made his entrance.
Another video showed a large number of fans congregating outside the hotel as Al Nassr’s team bus arrived. In this footage, security forces could be seen desperately trying to maintain order and keep the fans away from the bus.
Al Nassr posted several photos of Ronaldo receiving a luxurious hand-made Iranian carpet from Persepolis supporters.
“Mr. Cristiano Ronaldo, welcome to Iran. A token of appreciation, an original hand-woven piece of art made by Iranian artists to commemorate your presence in Iran, on behalf of Persepolis’s fans,” the fans wrote.
Earlier this month, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced that matches between Saudi and Iranian teams would be held on a home-and-away basis after the agreement of the two local federations. This followed the restoration of relations between the two countries in March.
Matches had been played on neutral territory since 2016 because strained diplomatic ties between the two countries meant Saudi nationals were not permitted to travel to Iran.
A d v e r t i s e m e n t