Cristiano Ronaldo suspended over alleged offensive gesture in Saudi league game
Cristiano Ronaldo has been handed a one-match suspension for an alleged offensive gesture during a Saudi Pro League game while representing Al Nassr.
Following Al-Nassr's 3-2 victory over Riyadh rival Al-Shabab on Sunday, video footage surfaced showing Ronaldo cupping his ear and repeatedly thrusting his hand forward near his pelvis, seemingly directed towards Al-Shabab fans. Background chants of "Messi," referencing Ronaldo’s longstanding soccer rival Lionel Messi, could be heard.
The Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Saudi Arabia Football Federation (SAFF) announced the ban on social media early Thursday morning local time. This suspension will affect Al-Nassr’s upcoming league game at home against Al-Hazm on Thursday. Additionally, Ronaldo has been fined 20,000 Saudi Riyals ($5,333), half of which will go to Al-Shabab to cover the costs of their complaint, and the other half to the federation. The committee stated that the decision is not open to appeal.
While the incident was not captured by television cameras, Ronaldo's actions received widespread criticism in Saudi Arabia from former players and commentators. Ronaldo reportedly explained to the committee that the gesture was one of victory and common in Europe.
This isn't the first time the Portuguese forward has been involved in controversy since joining Al-Nassr. Last April, after a match against Al-Hilal, Ronaldo appeared to make a similar gesture as fans chanted Messi's name. At that time, Al-Nassr stated that Ronaldo had sustained a groin injury during the match.
Ronaldo, who joined the Riyadh-based club in December 2022, leads the league with 22 goals. He scored the opener against Al Shabab with a first-half penalty.
Al Nassr is also in the quarterfinals of the Asian Champions League, a tournament they have never won.
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