Al-Nassr claim Cristiano Ronaldo was suffering with a groin issue as he faces deportation calls for grabbing his crotch in front of fans.
The Portuguese star endured a frustrating night as his Saudi outfit were beaten 2-0 by Al-Hilal, which saw them lose ground in the title race. Ronaldo was booked for a WWE-style tackle and also found himself in hot water after appearing to respond to Lionel Messi-related taunts.
Ronaldo seemed to grab his genitals in front of a section of the crowd, which caused mass offence through the Kingdom. It led to a trend emerging online wanting Ronaldo ejected from the country, with the theme "Expelling the fan's abuser".
Lawyer Nouf bin Ahmed has reacted 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," he also signalled his intent to file a complaint to the Saudi Prosecutor's Office for his "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 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.
Ronaldo has long been targeted by Messi fans, given the rivalry between the pair, who have dominated the game's individual awards throughout their careers. Al-Ittihad fans previously mocked the former Real Madrid man before beating Al-Nassr earlier this season as they held up photos of the Argentine.
Al-Nassr recently axed manager Rudi Garcia amid reports of dressing room unrest. He has been replaced by former youth team coach Jelicic, who took over as interim boss, but looks like he will be unable to lead the club to the Saudi title following their latest setback.
Ronaldo copped criticism for his move to the Middle East following his controversial exit from Manchester United. The player is earning mammoth amounts of cash but is no longer challenging for major European honours.
