Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be penalized for the offensive, crotch-grabbing gesture he made in his previous match for Al-Nassr that caused a lot of uproar.
An angry Cristiano Ronaldo seemed to target an X-rated gesture at fans that were shouting “Lionel Messi” towards him during Al Nassr’s 2-0 loss to Al Hilal.
The Portuguese superstar found the game to be irritating as Al Nassr generated very few chances and struggled a lot. Al-Hilal won by two goals after Odion Ighalo’s two penalties with one in each half of the game.
What did Ronaldo do and why wasn’t he punished?
Fans’ attention was drawn to Ronaldo’s antics with an Al-Hilal player, though. Ronaldo was given a yellow card for an unusual tackle. It was the second card he received since arriving in the Arab country. Al Hilal player Gustavo Cuellar was taken down by Ronaldo after being grabbed by the head and neck.
After the final whistle, Ronaldo left the field looking very dejected. The Al-Hilal crowd booed and chanted “Messi, Messi” as the Portugal icon left the field.
And at that moment, Ronaldo looked to be pointing an X-rated gesture in their direction as he grasped and shook his genitalia.
Cristiano Ronaldo makes obscene gesture to Al-Hilal fans after leaving the field defeated and under the cries of "Messi, Messi, Messi" 😮
— VAR Tático (@vartatico) April 18, 2023
📽️ @wtrx5 https://t.co/xnsyCsfPOQ
Many were calling for his expulsion from the Saudi Pro League, as the act was widely condemned throughout the Middle East. The Saudi Football Association’s Disciplinary and Ethics Committee investigated the event and came to the conclusion that no further action was necessary.
Al-Nassr did receive a 15,000 riyal fine, which is non-appealable, as the only punishment from the committee. This was for their players’ late entrance on the field to begin the second half. Ronaldo was spared any punishment because only official match football was examined and not the social media recordings.
Al-Nassr was certain that their iconic forward will avoid any legal action because they assert that the 38-year-old was only responding to a groin problem he suffered. Their statement was,
“Ronaldo suffers from an injury. His challenge with Gustavo Cuellar, the Al-Hilal player, started with a blow in a very sensitive area. This is confirmed information. As for the fans’ explanations, they are free to think whatever they want.”
Ronaldo’s time at Al Nassr
The Portuguese sensation joined Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr in January after parting ways with Manchester United. The star footballer was offered a contract that made him the world’s best-paid player. Cristiano had a dream start to life and scored eight goals, including two hat tricks in the Saudi Pro League, and even won the Player of the Month award for February.
CR7 has 11 goals in nine Saudi Pro League appearances with Al Nassr FC. In total, he has 11 goals in 11 games for the Riyadh-based squad.
Cristiano Ronaldo had a promising start with Al Nassr, but he has now gone two games without scoring. Ronaldo will hope to score again and help his team win the next game.
Ronaldo and Al Nassr presently trail league leaders Al-Ittihad by three points with 53 points and having played one more game.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr may have to divert their attention from the Saudi Pro League. As they have a King Cup of Champions match-up against Al Wehda on Tuesday.
