Football: Cristiano Ronaldo plays fair in Asian Champions League
Riyadh (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo showed his fair play Monday night in an Asian Champions League match with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, telling the referee who had just awarded him a penalty that no foul had been committed on him.
© Fayez NURELDINE / AFP
By: RFI Follow
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After consulting the VAR, China's Ma Ning, who had just whistled after a contentious contact in the box between the former Real Madrid and Manchester United superstar and Persepolis defender Soroush Rafiei, reversed his decision.
Ronaldo had barely fallen to the ground after the Iranian player's tackle at the very beginning of the match, leaping to his feet, waving his finger in the direction of the referee to indicate that there was no reason to give his club a penalty.
The match played in Riyadh, counting for the penultimate matchday of the group stage of the Asian Champions League, ended 0-0, although Al Nassr played 10 against 11 for a long time after defender Ali Lajimi was sent off in the 17th minute.
Well ahead of their group, the Portuguese striker's team, who went off with a neck injury about ten minutes from the end of the match after a clash with the Persepolis goalkeeper, is already guaranteed to play in the round of 8 of the competition.
Second in their domestic competition, Al Nassr, which also includes Senegalese international Sadio Mané and Spanish defender Aymeric Laporte, must face leaders Al Hilal on Friday in a clash at the top of the Saudi league, several of whose major players have also shone in the major European leagues, such as Neymar (injured), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Ruben Neves or Kalidou Koulibaly.
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