- Cristiano Ronaldo was facing an investigation due to inappropriate gestures towards fans, with reports suggesting he might be banned for two games and fined.
- The incident took place in Al-Nassr’s win against Al Shabab, with Ronaldo aiming the gesture at fans who were chanting Lionel Messi’s name.
- He has now officially been banned for one game.
Cristiano Ronaldo has picked up a one-game ban as punishment for a gesture he made towards fans during Al-Nassr’s 3-2 win over Al Shabab, according to BBC Sport. The striker was responding to taunts from the crowd, who were chanting the name of his rival, Lionel Messi.
The win for Ronaldo’s side kept them within touching distance of first-place Al-Hilal, who currently remain seven points clear at the top of the table. The Portuguese icon got his team off to the perfect start with a goal from the penalty spot, with his Brazilian teammate Anderson Talisca securing the win late on.
However, it is Ronaldo’s action following the game that have got people talking and they seem to have landed him in some hot water. He has also been fined 30,000 Saudi Riyals (£6,300) by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) – while the
SAFF disciplinary and ethics committee have confirmed that the former Manchester United icon cannot appeal against the decision.
What Ronaldo did at full-time
The striker gestured to the crowd in an unsavoury manner
As can be seen on footage that has been shared on social media, Ronaldo’s emotions seemed to get the better of him in the aftermath of Sunday night’s fixture. Having been subject to jeers all evening, the ex-Real Madrid man responded by cupping his ear to the fans before grabbing his crotch in the direction of supporters.
In the video, chants of Messi’s name can be heard being directed at his rival, something that was commonplace throughout the evening affair. Based on the forward’s reaction, he was very aware of this and decided to let out his frustration after the final whistle.
This is not the first time that Ronaldo has done something of this nature since his high-profile move to the Middle East. He was caught putting a scarf of an opposing team down his shorts and then throwing it after he was defeated in the Riyadh Season Cup Final earlier this year. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was also seen grabbing his crotch following a defeat to Al-Hilal in April 2023.
Ronaldo was facing a two-game suspension
It has been described as Saudi officials’ biggest test yet
According to the Daily Mail, the Portuguese captain was looking likely set to receive a two-match suspension and a fine for unsportsmanlike conduct. It would have been quite the stance for officials in Saudi to sanction Ronaldo for two games, given how much recognition he has brought to the league.
Before the decision was made, Saudi journalist Waleed Al Farraj claimed that this was the biggest test that those at the top of the Saudi Pro League have to make, stating:
“The disciplinary committee is facing the biggest test. We will wait and see. Everything has its limits, no matter how famous you are. This is how the major leagues are.”
With the world’s greatest goalscorer now suspended, it’s a massive blow to his team’s chances of catching league leaders Al-Hilal. However, the hope will be that it will put a stop to the obscene gestures that bring the sport and the nation of Saudi Arabia into even more disrepute.
