Saudi Arabia club Al-Nassr has played down calls for Cristiano Ronaldo to be expelled from the country following the controversial incident involving the Portuguese on Tuesday night. The Portuguese star was booked for a WWE-style tackle on his opponent during the game. Moreover, the 38-year-old then appeared to grab his crotch in the direction of the Al-Hilal supporters at full-time furious at the chants from home supporters of Lionel Messi. Ronaldo makes obscene gestures to the fans chanting ‘Messi Messi’The gesture appears to have caused widespread offence throughout the country, not least due to it coming during the holy month of Ramadan. Following the incident, a trend has emerged online seeking to kick Ronaldo out of the country under the title “Expelling the fan’s abuser”.”I don’t follow sports, but even if the taunting of the Al Hilal fans provoked Ronaldo, he didn’t know how to respond to it. His behaviour was a crime. An indecent act in public, which is treated as a criminal offense with arrest and deportation if the perpetrator is a foreigner. In this regard, we will submit a petition to the competent ministry for the control of public order and peace,” wrote lawyer and professor at the University of Genoa, Nouf Bint Ahmed, on his Twitter profile.#الهلال_النصر لست متابعة للشأن الرياضي حتى ولو استفز جمهور الهلال #رونالدو لم يوفّق في الرد عليهمالسلوك الصادر من #رونالدو يعتبر جريمةفعل فاضح علني وهي من الجرائم المستوجبةللتوقيف ، والإبعاد ( الترحيل ) إذا وقعت من أجنبيلذا سنتقدم بعريضة للنيابة العامة بهذا الشأن pic.twitter.com/qnyDJZJKS0— Prof. Nouf Bint Ahmed (@NoufPoet) April 18, 2023 However, Ronaldo’s club has attempted to play down the significance of his gesture, attributing his action to a “sensitive” injury in the groin region. The club’s board clarified the incident to journalist Muhammed Al-Enezi. The journalist released a statement on Wednesday via GOAL that 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.”##NAJAVA_MECA_7190658##Ronaldo and Al-Nassr will look to bounce back when they face Al-Wehda at home on April 24 in their King Cup semi-final.
