Football icon Cristiano Ronaldo said the obscene gesture that saw him suspended for a Saudi Pro League game was a “misunderstanding”.
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“Misunderstanding”
The Saudi Arabia Football Federation handed Al Nassr a one-game ban for provoking Al Shabab fans by grabbing his crotch.
The said X-rated gesture was Ronaldo’s response to the rival supporters chanting “Messi” — referencing his longstanding rival with fellow football legend Lionel Messi.
“What I did was a misunderstanding,” Ronaldo said in a news conference.
“I will always respect the cultures of all countries, but what people see is not always reality.”
Ronaldo, 39, previously landed in the hot seat, as he also groped his own groin back in April 2023 against Al-Hilal.
“Nobody is perfect”
“Sometimes the passion of the game leads us to make some mistakes, but everyone makes mistakes,” Ronaldo said. “Whenever I make them, I don’t do it on purpose. Every day, I try to be a better man.”
Ronaldo did not assure that he would improve his behavior, implying that everything was just a huge misunderstanding.
“I can’t promise because I’m a human being. Nobody is perfect. Life is made of mistakes,” he said.
“What I can promise is that I am a player who gives everything on the field, a player with passion, a player who always wants to win. I’m a player who doesn’t like to see people doing unsportsmanlike things … I am happy to be in Saudi Arabia and I’m happy to represent Al Nassr.”
