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Al-Nassr's recent 2-1 defeat against Al-Hilal in the semi-final of the Saudi Super Cup saw Cristiano Ronaldo receive a straight red card.
Late in the first half of the game, the Portuguese star was handed a booking following an argument with the referee after his goal was ruled out as he was ruled offside. But in the 86th minute, by when Al-Nassr had already conceded two goals, Ronaldo was shown a straight red for elbowing Al-Hilal defender Ali Al-Bulaihi.
For his booking, Cristiano Ronaldo will reportedly have to pay a penalty of 10,000 to 20,000 riyals along with a two-match suspension for excessive violence and disgraceful behavior (via 9NFCBALL). The former Real Madrid forward can miss upcoming Saudi Pro League fixtures against Al-Fayha and Al-Khaleej.
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In the post-match conference, Al-Nassr boss Luís Castro addressed the incident, saying (via Goal.com):
"Ali Al-Bulayhi acted in front of the referee and Ronaldo. The decision was incorrect. The Al Hilal defender pretended that he was hit in the face, and it was a play on his part, and the contact was small, and they took advantage of Ronaldo’s provocation."
"The VAR referee was supposed to call the main referee, and this is my personal opinion," he continued.
Luís Castro defended Ronaldo's behavior in the match, saying:
"I will not talk about the shot of the legend Cristiano Ronaldo because I do not see that he did anything that deserved to be expelled."
Earlier, it was reported that the Knights of Najd were attempting to appeal against the red card and cover the financial fees for the appeal, according to journalist Ahmed Aljadi.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr face Al-Khaleej in the King Cup semi-finals
On May 1, Al-Nassr will face Al-Khaleej in the semi-finals of the King Cup of Champions. The other semi-final will be played between Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal on April 30.
The Knights of Najd are second in the Saudi Pro League table with 65 points in 27 matches. They are 12 points behind league leaders and rivals Al-Hilal with seven games remaining in the season.
Earlier this month on April 3, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 65th career hat trick in a league match against Abha, which ended in a satisfying 8-0 win for Al Nassr.
