Reports suggest Cristiano Ronaldo is being investigated for allegedly making an obscene gesture in response to Lionel Messi chants during Al Nassr’s 3-2 victory over Al Shabab on Sunday.
While Ronaldo contributed to the scoreline in the Saudi Pro League win, it’s not the first time he has voiced concern over the trolling behavior of opposing fans.
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The recipient of five Ballon d’Or awards found himself targeted with Messi chants and felt compelled to react to the home fans.
Although the incident wasn’t captured by television cameras, fan-recorded videos of Ronaldo’s actions quickly spread online.
In the footage, the 39-year-old seemed to cup his ears before making repeated hand movements toward his pelvic area.
Nevertheless, this gesture might lead to disciplinary action against Ronaldo. According to Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awsat, via Reuters, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation has initiated an investigation into Ronaldo’s behavior.
Several commentators have criticized the gesture and urged for sanctions against the former Real Madrid and Manchester United player.
— @TrollFootball Videos (@TF_Video) February 25, 2024
“The disciplinary committee is facing the biggest test. We will wait and see,” he told his 7.4 million followers.
“Everything has its limits, no matter how famous you are. This is how the major leagues are.”
Al Nassr has not yet commented on the issue, but this isn’t the first time Ronaldo has been embroiled in such incidents since his move to Saudi Arabia.
Just earlier this month, he seemed to gesture with an Al Hilal scarf after a defeat in the Riyadh Season Cup.
Similarly, in April 2023, he was seen making a similar gesture after taunts about Messi.
He faced calls to be banned, with his club giving a bizarre explanation. They said: “Ronaldo is suffering from an injury. A duel with Gustavo Cuellar (Al Hilal) started with Ronaldo being hit in a very sensitive area.
“This is confirmed information. The fans may think what they want.”
