Anderson Talisca Takes Dig at Cristiano Ronaldo, Blames Him for Al Nassr’s Struggles

Former Al Nassr star Anderson Talisca suggests Cristiano Ronaldo is the reason behind the club's poor form, defending Jhon Duran from criticism.

Former Al Nassr midfielder Anderson Talisca has sparked controversy after Al Nassr’s recent struggles. His cryptic remarks seemingly blamed Cristiano Ronaldo for the club’s downfall in the Saudi Pro League. Talisca faced some criticism during his time at the club before leaving this year in January to join Fenerbahce.

He is a great player and will do a lot for this club. The problem is that you always want to find someone to blame for the defeats, but you don't see where the real mistake lies. Stop acting like this all the time

You know where the mistake is, you're just afraid to say it, lol
— Andersontalisca (@talisca_aa) February 28, 2025

He indirectly pointed fingers at the Portuguese superstar and defended the club’s new signing Jhon Duran from criticism. Especially since Durand has already started facing criticism after Al Nassr’s title hopes took a major hit. Al Nassr suffered two recent defeats that included a shocking 2-1 loss to Al Orobah.

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Their new £64 million signing, Jhon Duran has already scored four goals in his first four appearances. Even so, he is facing criticism from the fans. Following that, Talisca took to social media to defend Duran in response. Many have interpreted his comments as a veiled criticism of Ronaldo. He recently posted on X (formerly Twitter):

“He is a great player and will do a lot for this club. The problem is that you always want to find someone to blame for the defeats, but you don’t see where the real mistake lies. Stop acting like this all the time. You know where the mistake is, you’re just afraid to say it, lol. And on top of that, you want to do to Duran what they did to me, to benefit others.”

Ronaldo’s Role Under Scrutiny

Since Ronaldo arrived in Saudi Arabia, he has not only been the focal point of Al Nassr’s attack, but also Al Nassr’s main attraction for fans. However, recently, his form has dipped and he has failed to score in the loss to Al Orobah.

He also missed the AFC Champions League clash against Esteghlal. That match ended in a 0-0 draw. Many fans believe that the team’s overall performance has become limited because of too much reliance on Ronaldo.

Even so, Ronaldo has remained vocal about his belief that the Saudi Pro League’s quality is higher than MLS and even some European leagues. Currently, Al Nassr are sitting in third place in the Saudi Pro League, nine points behind table-toppers Al Ittihad. Their title hopes are fading.

Al Nassr

Anderson Talisca

Cristiano Ronaldo

Moumita Dutta

soccer

Football writer at The Playoffs. I’ve been obsessed with the beautiful game since I was a kid.. Eventually, I realized I could combine my passion for writing with my love for football, and I’ve never looked back. My favorite part of the job is everything—when you’re doing what you love, even a late-night deadline feels like extra time in a thrilling cup final. Lastly, Lionel Messi is the GOAT.