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February 29, 2024
Al Nassr captain is mandated to cover Al Shabab’s legal fees after complaining about an obscene gesture.
Cristiano Ronaldo was suspended for one match and fined following an offensive incident at the end of a recent Saudi Pro League match. The Al Nassr captain was caught on video reacting to “Messi” chants from the Al Shabab crowd after his team’s 3-2 victory by cupping his ear and gesturing towards his pelvic area.
Although television cameras did not capture the incident, footage of the gesture quickly circulated on social media. On Thursday, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s Disciplinary and Ethics Committee announced that Ronaldo would face a one-match ban.
In addition to the suspension, Ronaldo is required to pay Al Shabab a fine of 20,000 SAR (approximately $5,333) to cover the costs associated with filing the complaint and an additional 10,000 SAR to the federation. The committee stated that this decision is not subject to appeal.
Al Nassr, currently second in the league and seven points behind Al Hilal, will play their next match at home against bottom-placed Al Hazem on Thursday night.
Reports from Saudi Arabia indicate that Cristiano Ronaldo, the former Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus forward, defended his gesture to the disciplinary committee by claiming it is a common expression in Europe, meant to convey a sense of victory.
Ronaldo has faced similar scrutiny in Saudi Arabia before. Last April, he was criticized for making an obscene gesture towards Al Hilal supporters after Al Nassr lost 2-0 in a title clash against their city rivals. Al Nassr ultimately finished second to Jeddah’s Al Ittihad that season.
More recently, following another 2-0 defeat to Hilal in the Riyadh Season Cup final earlier this month, Ronaldo reacted to a Hilal scarf thrown at him by tucking it into his shorts and tossing it back into the stands.
Since joining Al Nassr in December 2022, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has excelled. He currently leads the Saudi Pro League scoring charts with 22 goals in 20 matches. He is expected to return to the lineup for Monday’s Asian Champions League quarter-final first leg against Al Ain.
The captain of Al Nassr responds to ‘Messi’ chants from Al Shabab supporters and could be disciplined.
Following his team’s Saudi Pro League victory over Al Shabab on Sunday, Cristiano Ronaldo made an apparent offensive gesture that drew harsh criticism again in Saudi Arabia.
The Portugal star appeared to react to the home crowd’s chants of “Messi” at full-time by cupping his ear before repeatedly thrusting his hand toward his pelvic area. He had earlier opened the scoring in an exciting game that ended 3-2 for his team.
Television cameras did not record the incident, but those present soon took pictures and shared them on social media.
Although neither the Saudi Pro League nor the Saudi Arabian Football Federation have released an official statement, the Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awsat claimed that the latter had launched an investigation into the incident.
Renowned Saudi author and TV host Waleed Al Farraj stated on X: “The disciplinary committee is facing the most significant test. We will wait and see.
“Everything has its limits, no matter how famous you are. This is how the major leagues are.”
Ronaldo, 39, has previously faced comparable criticism in Saudi Arabia. In April of last year, he was charged with making a derogatory gesture toward Al Hilal supporters following Nassr’s 2-0 loss to their city rivals in a championship match. Hilal eventually won the league, with Nassr coming in second.
Later, in response to a Hilal scarf being thrown at him during another 2-0 loss to Hilal earlier this month—this time in the Riyadh Season Cup final—Ronaldo stuffed the scarf inside his shorts and threw it back at the spectators.
With 22 goals in 20 games, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who signed with Nassr in December 2022, leads the Saudi league scoring charts. Along with Al, he leads the division in assists. Al Ettifaq’s Alvaro Medran of Ettifaq, with nine.
On the other hand, Nassr is four points behind Hilal at the top of the table with 52 points, even though the winners still have a game remaining.
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Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and football sportsbook app reviews. As an author for Football News Today, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for football, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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