February 29, (THEWILL) – The Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF), has suspended Cristiano Ronaldo for one match after he was caught on camera making a lewd gesture during Sunday’s 3-2 victory over Al Shabab.
Video footage showed Ronaldo cupping his ear and pumping his hand repeatedly near his pelvic region in front of the rival team’s supporters after the final whistle. Audible “Messi” chants could be heard in the background, referring to Ronaldo’s longtime Argentinian rival.
The committee ordered Ronaldo to pay a 10,000 Saudi riyal ($2,666) fine to the SAFF and 20,000 riyals to Al-Shabab to cover complaint filing fees. The decision cannot be appealed, they stated. Last April, Ronaldo appeared to inappropriately grab his genitals after a 2-0 league loss against Al Hilal. His club Al Nassr has yet to comment on this latest suspension for the high-profile striker.
Ronaldo moved to the Saudi Pro League after having one of modern football’s most glittering careers in Europe. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has played for Sporting CP, Manchester United on two occasions, Real Madrid and Juventus. He also captained Portugal to Euro 2016 glory as well as appearing in five World Cups.
The SAFF was under pressure to act after the video circulated widely online. The one-match ban means Ronaldo will miss this weekend’s key top-of-the-table clash with league leaders Al Ittihad. Al Nassr will greatly miss their superstar name as they try to close the gap at the summit. Ronaldo and his club will also want to avoid any repeat of such incidents in the future.
There is no doubt this suspension has generated global publicity. Still, Ronaldo can now focus on returning to action after the ban and fine. His legions of fans around the world will hope this was an isolated incident as he heads toward the end of his glittering playing days.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
