Cristiano Ronaldo, an Al-Nassr forward, has been banned from a match after showing wrong hand gestures to Al-Shabab fans on hearing chants of Lionel Messi. The incident took place after the Al Nassr won the match, 3-2, and the final whistle blew, Ronaldo cupped his ear and repeatedly pumped his hand forward in front of his pelvic area. The fans have alleged him for using inappropriate gestures on hearing chants related to Messi.
The Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Saudi Football Federation have asked him to pay a fine of 10,000 Saudi riyals to the Saudi Football Federation, and 20,000 riyals to Al Shabab. These fines will cover the complaint costs. Moreover, the committee has also mentioned the decision is not subject to appeal. However, paying fines is not new for Ronaldo. He has done this several times and will do it in the future as well.
In the match, Ronaldo pulled a classic Ronaldo by opening the scoring from the penalty spot. However, Al-Shabab did their best to keep the game competitive by scoring two goals. Moreover, it was Talisca’s score that helped Al Nassr win the match in the 87th minute. Earlier, in December, Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr on a free transfer from Manchester United. Moreover, the transfer was reported to be the biggest football salary in history.
Ronaldo-Messi Rivalry
The Ronaldo-Messi rivalry is nothing new and it dates back to the first time the world-class players clashed against each other. When their rivalry started, they had 18 Champions League goals and zero Ballon d’Or. However, after more than a decade now, they not only share the longest rivalry but also nine European crowns, 269 UCL goals and 13 Ballon d’Ors between them.
Nevertheless, Messi and Ronaldo have a sweet relationship off the field. Whenever they meet at any award function, they spend a few minutes talking to each other. Moreover, Ronaldo had also admitted that he would like to have dinner with Messi whenever they get time and opportunity to do so.