Referee details reason for Cristiano Ronaldo red card in Al Nassr-Al Hilal clash, potential punishment for sending-off comes to light - Reports

Referee Mohammed Al-Huwaish has reportedly detailed the reason behind Cristiano Ronaldo's sending-off in Al-Nassr's 2-1 loss against Al-Hilal on Monday (April 8).

The two teams faced each other in the semi-final of the Saudi Super Cup, and Al-Hilal scored twice in the second half to take a 2-0 lead. With 86 minutes on the clock, Ronaldo found himself vying for the ball with Ali Al-Bulaihi after it went out of play for a throw-in.

The Al-Hilal defender shielded the ball from Ronaldo, who responded by elbowing him. The referee was in no doubt about the color of the card, and 'CR7' was evidently unhappy with the decision.

The former Real Madrid superstar even raised his right fist towards the referee after being sent off and took his time to begrudgingly leave the field. Al-Nassr scored their first goal of the game in the ninth minute of stoppage time through Sadio Mane.

But by then, it was too little, too late, as Al-Hilal secured a 2-1 win in Abu Dhabi and booked a place in the final against Al-Ittihad. According to local outlet Arriyadiyah.com, the referee noted in his match report that Ronaldo used 'excessive force' to hit Al-Bulaihi with his below.

The report also mentions that players who commit such 'disgraceful behavior' are handed a two-game suspension along with a fine of 20,000 riyals by the Saudi Football Federation. It remains to be seen if the Al-Nassr forward will be hit with the same punishment.

Al-Nassr's next two games are in the Saudi Pro League, where they face Al Feiha (April 19) at home before traveling to Dammam to face Al-Khaleej (April 27).

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Al-Nassr boss defends Cristiano Ronaldo red card against Al-Hilal

Al-Nassr manager Luis Castro came out in defense of Cristiano Ronaldo after his team's loss against Al-Hilal.

Speaking about the red card incident, the 62-year-old Portuguese tactician said (via GOAL):

"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."

Second-placed Al-Nassr are currently 12 points behind league leaders Al-Hilal with seven games left in the season. They are also out of the AFC Champions League and the Saudi Super Cup.

Despite his team's failure to dominate in competitions that truly matter, Ronaldo has had a remarkable individual season so far. He has 36 goals and 12 assists in 37 matches across competitions and has either scored or assisted in 20 of his 25 league appearances this term.