Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players in the world, but even he has to admit he makes mistakes sometimes. The Portuguese forward is known for his trophies, goals, and big moments. Those big moments can often go a bit wild, and in some cases, even downright indecent and immoral.
Now that he is in a new country, Saudi Arabia, those same indecent gestures will not sit well there. He has already been punished for one of his immoral gestures, and he has now defended why he did it.
Cristiano Ronaldo normalizes his obscene gesture in recent comment
Cristiano Ronaldo may have apologized for his recent misdeed, but he also pointed out that it is considered normal in Europe. The indecent gesture in question was made last month during a 3-2 victory over Al Shabab. At one point, the opposition fans were mocking him by chanting rival Lionel Messi’s name. This led him to make an X-rated gesture towards those fans.
Saudi Arabia is a strict Islamic country, and many called for Ronaldo to be punished. And the authorities swiftly punished him, by fining him and giving him a one game suspension which he served against Al Hazm.
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— The CR7 Timeline. (@TimelineCR7) February 28, 2024
A few words from Cristiano Ronaldo’s statement:
“I respect all clubs, and the movement in the gesture expresses strength and victory and is not disgraceful, and we are accustomed to it in Europe.”
(Sports) pic.twitter.com/maR7ZlcxwL
In a recent press conference, Ronaldo wanted to apologize for any unintentional gesture caused by him. He said, “I will always respect the cultures of all countries, as I have respected to this day, but not always what people see is reality.”
He reiterated his previous statement that it was very normal back in Europe, saying, “As I said and I will say again, it is obvious that I will not do it again in this country, but in Europe, it is very normal. Sometimes the passion and excitement of the game leads us to make some mistakes.”
Cristiano Ronaldo ‘happy’ to remain in Saudi Arabia
Despite the recent debacle around his actions, Cristiano Ronaldo has insisted he is very happy at the club and his new country. He said, “I am happy to be in Saudi Arabia, absolutely happy. I’m happy to represent Al Nassr and for me our season is positive because we have had a chance until now in all tournaments.”
Ronaldo’s happiness stands in contrast with his poor season with the club so far. While they won a trophy at the beginning of the season in Arab Club Champions Cup, they have been very poor the rest of the season. They have fallen behind in the Saudi Pro League race, where Al Nassr are behind rivals Al Hilal by 12 points.
🟡🔵🇸🇦 Cristiano Ronaldo: “I am happy to be in Saudi Arabia, absolutely happy”.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 10, 2024
“I’m happy to represent Al Nassr and for me our season is positive because we have had a chance until now in all tournaments”. pic.twitter.com/EUwRzJbyyp
They are still in the running for the Saudi Super Cup and the King Cup of Champions as well. However, they are behind in their AFC Champions League fixture against Al Ain, having lost 1-0 in the first leg. Ronaldo is still hopeful they can make a comeback in the second leg.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr will now prepare for their crucial second leg fixture against Al Ain in the AFC Champions League quarter finals.