Al-Nassr will be without the services of their star striker Cristiano Ronaldo for their next match against Al-Hazm.
This is after the Portuguese was punished for his actions during their late win over Al-Shabab where he (Ronaldo) pumped his hand forward in front of his pelvic area after scoring in Al-Nassr’s 3-2 win away against Al-Shabab,
According to pundits football fans and the Saudi Arabia football federation, this was an obscene gesture that the Portuguese performed in response to Lionel Messi chants during the match.
According to Saudi media, via the Daily Mail, Ronaldo has been hit with a two-match suspension for making the X-rated gesture, along with an undisclosed fine.
While the monetary punishment will be of no worry to Ronaldo given his £175 million ($222m)-per-year salary, the ban will be a blow to him and his side.
The Portuguese will now miss Thursday’s league fixture against Al-Hazm and could also be absent for Al-Nassr’s AFC Champions League quarter-final clash in a week’s time.
The celebration wasn’t captured on local broadcasts but was uploaded onto social media by a fan, which led to a complaint by Al-Shabab, according to Saudi news outlet Arriyadiyah. The footage was presented to the committee who stated that Ronaldo violated Article 57-1 of the Disciplinary and Ethics Regulations.
