Although his team Al-Nassr won against Al Shabab 3-2 on Sunday, Cristiano Ronaldo is under criticism. He made an obscene gesture towards the spectators on the field – and there is great excitement in conservative Saudi Arabia.
In videos circulating on the Internet, the 39-year-old Portuguese can be seen moving his hand back and forth in front of his groin area after the final whistle. Beforehand, he had briefly put his hand to his ear. The gesture seemed to be directed at the opposing fans, who had probably provoked Ronaldo with shouts of “Messi”. Lionel Messi is Ronaldo’s long-time rival, particularly for awards of individual achievement.
According to media reports, the situation was not shown on TV, but videos of it quickly circulated on the Internet and caused outraged reactions in local media. Accordingly, the Saudi football association SAFF is said to have initiated an investigation.
It wasn’t the first time Ronaldo attracted negative attention during his time in the Persian Gulf. Just recently, he put an Al-Hilal fan scarf in his pants on the way to the dressing room and threw it away shortly afterwards. Last April, after a loss to the same club, he grabbed his genitals after the game.