Forward Cristiano Ronaldo will be suspended for 2 matches and fined after he was found to have engaged in unsportsmanlike conduct during the match early yesterday morning.
In the encounter against Al Shabab, Ronaldo once again found himself provoked as thousands of chants of “Messi, Messi, Messi” echoed every time he touched the ball. At the beginning of the match, when the 39-year-old superstar executed a penalty, the jeering intensified.
Perhaps due to frustration with the opposing fans, Ronaldo displayed a negative reaction. After scoring and at the end of the game, he celebrated defiantly. CR7 raised both hands to his ears with a challenging message to the opposing fans to continue chanting Messi’s name. At its peak, he performed a provocative celebration, spreading his legs apart and repeatedly raising and lowering his arms.
Witnessing this gesture, many interpreted it as crude messages. Saudi Arabian media strongly criticized the Portuguese star. “Everything has its limits, no matter how famous you are. This is how major tournaments often operate,” a commentator expressed their perspective on Ronaldo’s actions.
Immediately after the match, Al Shabab also gathered evidence to submit to the league’s disciplinary committee, and soon after, the punishment was issued. Several Arab newspapers asserted that Ronaldo would be banned from playing two matches and fined a substantial amount.
The disciplinary committee of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation aims to deter the Portuguese superstar as this is not the first time he has displayed objectionable behavior. On February 9th, in a friendly match against Al Hilal, feeling both irritated by Al Nassr’s loss and provoked by the opposing fans, Ronaldo used an Al Hilal jersey to… wipe his groin. This was a jersey thrown at him by an opposing fan.
With the latest punishment, Ronaldo will miss two matches in the championship race, and Al Nassr will undoubtedly suffer the consequences. Ronaldo has contributed significantly to their performance. He scored 22 goals in 20 league matches, 9 goals in 8 recent appearances across all competitions. Overall, he has stamped his mark on more than 50% of Al Nassr’s total goals in the 2023/24 campaign (31 out of 60 goals).