Cristiano Ronaldo and his team Al Nassr lost another game, this time to rivals Al Hilal. But something more surprising was the officiating of the match was done by English Premier League referee Michael Oliver.
Leading English Premier League referee Michael Oliver was flown business class to Saudi Arabia. It was done so that he could supervise a top-flight match between Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr and their city rivals Al-Hilal. It was done for an estimated £3,000 in pay.
This was an unusual move up to this point. The match money was also about double what he would receive for a Premier League match. Referees are paid around £1,500 for each match in the Premier League.
It is clear that the Saudi Pro League has big ambitions. As the league gains more coverage through Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival, they want to make it more competitive.
Could we see more Premier League referees in the Saudi Pro League?
However, Oliver and other important English officials will likely be involved in a similar scenario in the future.
When it comes to responding to requests from foreign associations, the PGMOL’s new boss, Howard Webb, is rumored to be more laid-back than his predecessors at the Football Association. He also reportedly sees the value in his officials’ participation in other domestic leagues from both a reputable and experience standpoint.
Oliver was able to travel to and from Riyadh in less than a day. This was possible since he did not have a Champions League match this week. This gave him plenty of time to rest up before Liverpool’s match against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Webb had previously served as the head of referees in Saudi Arabia for two years between 2015 and 2017. He is therefore eager to expand ties between the PGMOL and other officiating organizations.
Cristiano Ronaldo and his recent loss
Cristiano Ronaldo is having a hard time in Al Nassr. In their 2-0 loss to Al Hilal, the Portuguese forward was yellow-carded by Michael Oliver after the Portuguese forward produced a move straight from WWE.
Dinko Jelicic, the club’s temporary manager and a former junior team coach, oversaw Al-Nassr’s first game following the dismissal of Rudi Garcia.
The Portuguese superstar found the game to be irritating. Al Nassr generated very few chances and struggled a lot. Al-Hilal led by two goals after Odion Ighalo’s two penalties, one in each half of the game.
Although Ronaldo appeared to have given his team the lead with a spectacular finish, the 38-year-old was ruled to be offside in a very tight decision. Al Nassr was given a penalty when Ronaldo’s free kick struck Moussa Marega in the arm, but a VAR review overruled that judgment as well.
The five-time Champions League champion was furious after missing a headed opportunity. After falling to the reigning Saudi and Asian Champions League champions, Al Nassr’s pursuit of the Saudi Pro League championship weakened significantly. The loss to their city rivals added insult to injury.
Having played one more game, Ronaldo and Al Nassr presently trail league leaders Al-Ittihad by three points with 53 points after 24 games.
