A Saudi lawyer, Nouf bin Ahmed, has vowed to file a complaint against Cristiano Ronaldo after the player appeared to grab his genitals while walking off the pitch on Tuesday.
The incident happened after Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr suffered a 2-0 defeat to Odion Ighalo’s Al-Hilal on Tuesday night.
Ronaldo’s action was deemed as an insulting gesture toward fans after his team’s 2-0
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A video released on social media seemed to show the 38-year-old grabbing his crotch as he left the pitch in response to fans chanting the name of his rival Lionel Messi, Freelanews reports.
While reacting, Ahmed said Ronaldo should be punished for his “crime of public indecency.
According to her, the crime entails arrest and deportation if committed by a foreigner.
“It is considered a crime of public dishonour, and it is one of the crimes that entail arrest and deportation if committed by a foreigner,” Ahmed said on Twitter, as she vowed to file a complaint to the Saudi Prosecutor’s Office for his ‘crime of public indecency’.
Ronaldo has also drawn heavy criticism from journalists in Saudi Arabia, with Ozman Abu Bakr suggesting Al-Nassr should terminate his £175m-a-year contract following his ‘immoral and impolite gesture against the spectators’, the report added.
However, according to Marca, Al-Nassr sources have defended Ronaldo by claiming he made the gesture after he ‘received a blow during the match’ to his genitals.
The controversial incident came after a damaging defeat for Dinko Jelicic’s side that saw them concede further ground in the title race.
Second-placed Al-Nassr is now three points behind leaders Al-Ittihad having played a game more, and with Al-Shabab in third, three points behind them with a game in hand.
Ronaldo was furious as he stormed off the pitch – and footage online seems to show him grabbing his crotch as supporters inside the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh sang ‘Messi! Messi! Messi!’ repeatedly in what was undoubtedly an attempt to taunt CR7.
As he headed for the tunnel, the former Manchester United player appeared to put his hand in his genital area and pull upwards.
The clip shows Ronaldo trudging off the field and past the media zone, before holding his crotch and moving it around.
While at the end of the video, he appears to look up toward the chanting fans with a grin on his face.
A second video on social media shows him doing the same thing just after crossing the touchline.
Earlier in the game, Ronaldo made headlines after bringing down an opponent in a chokehold.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
