Al-Nassr defend Ronaldo as fans call for his deportation for grabbing crotch

Cristiano Ronaldo is under deportation threat after allegedly touching his crotch in front of supporters during a game in Saudi Arabia, but his club Al-Nassr have defended him.

The Portuguese star had a difficult night as his Saudi team lost to Al-Hilal 2-0, which cost them ground in the title battle.

In addition to being booked for a tackle, Ronaldo got into trouble for appearing to react to Lionel Messi-related chants in the stadium.

In front of a portion of the audience, Ronaldo appeared to grip his crotch, which sparked widespread outrage throughout the Kingdom.

It led to a trend emerging online wanting Ronaldo ejected from the country, with the theme “Expelling the fan’s abuser”.

Read Also: Ighalo double helps Al-Hilal defeat Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr

Lawyer Nouf bin Ahmed reacted to and wants Ronaldo to be reprimanded for his actions. He said on social media: “It is considered a crime of public dishonor, and it is one of the crimes that entails arrest and deportation if committed by a foreigner.”

Ahmed also signalled his intent to file a complaint to the Saudi Prosecutor’s Office for Ronaldo’s “crime of public indecency”.

Al-Nassr though has cited a “sensitive” injury in that area of the body as they attempt to play down the gesture.

The club’s board clarified the incident to journalist Muhammed Al-Enezi, who said in a statement on Wednesday: “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.”

The challenge the club referred to was heavily criticised and earned Ronaldo a yellow card from English referee Michael Oliver.

Whilst his side were trailing 1-0, Ronaldo seemed to let frustration get the better of him as he leapt up and pulled his opponent from behind after grabbing him around the neck.

Al-Nassr currently trail leaders Al-Ittihad by six points.

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