Saudi Football Association has officially issued a decision regarding Cristiano Ronaldo’s alleged indecent gesture in Al-Nassr’s loss to Al-Hilal.
Al-Hilal defeated Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in a thrilling Riyadh derby on April 18. The match featured a contentious incident involving Cristiano Ronaldo as he was seen grabbing his crotch in front of opposition fans. His gesture was considered obscene by many and sparked a controversy.
The Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation recently delivered their ruling on the matter. Al-Nassr received a fine of 15,000 riyals from the SFA, a decision that cannot be appealed. The fine was levied due to the delay in their players’ arrival on the pitch at the beginning of the second half. However, according to GOAL, the committee did not punish Cristiano Ronaldo for his alleged indecent gesture.
Interestingly, the committee’s decision not to penalize Ronaldo was based on their reliance on official television footage rather than clips circulating on social media platforms. This has ignited further debate surrounding the committee’s methods and the role of technology in football officiating.
During the match as well, Ronaldo was involved in an altercation with Colombian midfielder Gustavo Cuellar. The Portuguese forward unfairly tackled Cuellar and received a yellow card from referee Michael Oliver.
Notably, prior to the ruling, lawyer Nouf bin Ahmed revealed that he would file a complaint regarding the superstar’s indecent gesture (via Mirror):
“It is considered a crime of public dishonor, and it is one of the crimes that entails arrest and deportation if committed by a foreigner,” he said.
Sensitive Injury: Al-Nassr downplay Cristiano Ronaldo’s gesture amid controversy.
In an attempt to defuse the growing controversy surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo’s indecent gesture during the contentious Riyadh derby, Al-Nassr argued that the forward was suffering from an injury in the groin area.
The club’s board provided this information to journalist Muhammed Al-Enezi, who released a statement on Wednesday (via Mirror):
“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.”
The club will be pleased that the SFA hasn’t handed Ronaldo either a fine or more severe punishment. Al-Nassr are second in the Saudi Pro League table, three points behind league leaders Al-Ittihad who have a game in hand.
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