A Saudi lawyer has called for Cristiano Ronaldo to be thrown out of the country after he appeared to make an insulting gesture towards fans following Al Nassr’s 2-0 defeat by Al Hilal on Tuesday night.
Nigeria international, Odion Ighalo, scored both goals [from the penalty spot] at the King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, to take his tally to 42 since his arrival at Al Hilal.
A video released on social media seemed to show Ronaldo, 38, grabbing his crotch as he left the pitch in response to fans chanting the name of his rival Lionel Messi.
Lawyer Nouf bin Ahmed has reacted to the incident, and wants Ronaldo to be punished severely for his actions.
“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,’ Ahmed said on Twitter, as she vowed to file a complaint to the Saudi Prosecutor’s Office for his ‘crime of public indecency.”
Ronaldo has also drawn heavy criticism from journalists in Saudi Arabia, with Ozman Abu Bakr suggesting Al-Nassr should terminate his £175m-a-year contract following his ‘immoral and impolite gesture against the spectators’.
However, according to Marca, Al Nassr sources have defended Ronaldo by claiming he made the gesture after he ‘received a blow during the match’ to his genitals.
The 198-cap Portugal international Ronaldo has scored 11 goals in 11 league games for Al Nassr – 11 in 13 in all competitions – since joining on a massive three-year contract last December after his contract at Old Trafford was terminated.