Cristiano Ronaldo will not be punished for the obscene, crotch-grabbing gesture that sparked so much controversy in his last outing for Al-Nassr.
The Portuguese superstar endured an outing to forget against Al-Hilal on Tuesday, with his antics thrusting him under the microscope once more. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was fortunate to escape with just a yellow card after delivering a WWE-style tackle on a rival, before facing more Lionel Messi taunts from those in the stands.
Ronaldo appeared to react to those by grabbing his crotch in the direction of his tormentors, leading to widespread condemnation throughout the Middle East and calls for him to be expelled from the Saudi Pro League. The Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Saudi Football Association has looked into the incident and delivered its verdict, with it determined that no further action is required.
The only penalty handed out by the committee is a 15,000 riyals fine, which his non-appealable, to Al-Nassr due to the late arrival of their players on the pitch for the start of the second-half. Ronaldo escaped punishment as only official match football was reviewed – rather than the videos which have been posted on social media.
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Al-Nassr were always confident that their iconic forward, who is the highest-paid player on the planet, would avoid any action as they claim that the 38-year-old was merely reacting to an injury he suffered in the groin region. They said: “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.”
