Cristiano Ronaldo received a lot of negative feedback for possibly making an offensive gesture at the conclusion of Al-Nassr’s 3-2 victory against Al-Shabab in the Saudi Pro League on Sunday.
The Portugal striker scored the first goal of the match with a penalty in the 21st minute. However, Al-Nassr had to rely on Talisca’s late brace to secure the win with only four minutes remaining. Videos on social media showed Ronaldo gesturing with his hand near his pelvic area and cupping his ear after the game ended. It seemed to be aimed at fans of Al-Shabab.
In the distance, the crowd could be heard chanting “Messi” in reference to Ronaldo’s longstanding football competition. Although the incident was not captured on TV, some Saudi experts suggested that Ronaldo should face consequences. There has been no official statement, but the Saudi publication Asharq al-Awsat reported that the SAFF is looking into the matter.
“The disciplinary committee is currently being put to the ultimate test. We will have to observe and see,” stated Waleed Al Farraj, a well-known writer and TV presenter from Saudi Arabia, on X. “No matter how renowned you may be, there are always boundaries. This is simply the nature of the top leagues.”
Al-Nassr was unavailable for immediate comment.
Ronaldo, who is 39 years old, has previously received similar negative feedback. In April of last year, he was seen potentially touching his private area as he walked towards the dugout after a 2-0 loss against Al-Hilal in the league.
In the beginning of this month, he retrieved an Al-Hilal scarf that was thrown at him from the crowd, tucked it into his shorts, and then discarded it as he made his way towards the tunnel following Al-Nassr’s 2-0 loss in the final of the Riyadh Season Cup.
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In late 2022, Ronaldo became a member of Al-Nassr without a transfer fee. He currently leads the league in scoring with 22 goals in 20 games this season. Al-Nassr holds the second spot on the table with 52 points, trailing four points behind Al Hilal who have an extra game to play.
Source: theguardian.com
