Cristiano Ronaldo has been suspended for one match for making an offensive and obscene gesture during a Saudi Arabian league match while playing for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr. The Portuguese footballer did not know how to accept the chants of the rival fans, who chanted “Messi, Messi” during the match. And the answer has been expensive.
The Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) announced this Thursday a one-match ban, so he will not be able to play the next home match against Al-Hazm, according to agencies such as Reuters.
In addition, the Portuguese star will have to pay a fine of 20,000 Saudi riyals ($5,333) to Al-Shabab, part to cover the costs of the complaint by the club and the rest for the Saudi federation. The decision is final and Ronaldo will not have the option of appealing.
After Al-Nassr defeated Riyadh rival Al-Shabab 3-2 last Sunday, a video showed the footballer touching his ear and repeatedly pushing his hand forward near his pelvis, both gestures dedicated to the rival fans. In the background, chants of “Messi” could be heard, with whom he has always maintained a strong rivalry.
Although the incident was not caught on television cameras, the actions of Ronaldo, who scored a penalty in the first half of the match, were widely criticized in Saudi Arabia by former players and commentators.
According to several reports published by Saudi Arabian media, the 39-year-old footballer claimed before the committee that the gesture was a gesture of victory and common in Europe.
It is not the first time that the Portuguese striker has been at the center of controversy since he arrived at Al-Nassr. Last April, as he left the field after a match against Al-Hilal, Ronaldo appeared to grab his genitals as fans chanted Messi’s name. On that occasion, Al-Nassr claimed that the striker had suffered a groin injury during the match.
