Cristiano Ronaldo mocked by Saudi fans with harsh chant as he’s expelled after red card.
Cristiano Ronaldo was shown a red card on Monday night during Al-Nassr’s defeat against Al-Hilal in the Saudi Arabian Super Cup. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner seemed to elbow an opponent before losing his temper with the referee, and his actions proved costly.
With Al-Nassr trailing 2-0 following goals from Salem Al-Dawsari and Malcom, the pressure was on for Luis Castro’s side to halve the deficit heading into the final few minutes of the clash at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium. Ronaldo was at the center of the drama, as he let his frustrations get the better of him in the 86th minute.
After the ball was knocked out of play, the 39-year-old was eager to take a quick throw-in and start a counter-attack. However, Al-Hilal defender Ali Al-Bulaihi intervened to ensure that the ball could not return to play whilst he and his teammates were out of position.
Ronaldo was furious with the defender, initially shoving him before appearing to elbow him. Despite efforts by Aymeric Laporte to diffuse the situation, the referee gave Ronaldo a red card.
The Portuguese international was visibly frustrated with the decision, sarcastically applauding the referee as he left the pitch and encouraging the crowd to join him in his frustrations. However, the crowd responded with chants of ‘Messi, Messi, Messi’ in support of the former Manchester United star.
Sadio Mane managed to score a consolation goal for Al-Nassr, but Ronaldo’s actions may have cost his team the chance at an impressive comeback.
