Al Nassr coach: 'Opponent's diving got Ronaldo sent off'

UAE According to coach Luis Castro, Cristiano Ronaldo did not deserve a red card because center back Al Bulaihi dived, in the match Al Nassr lost to Al Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup.

"Ronaldo's red card was a mistake," Al Nassr coach said after the match on the evening of April 8. "Al Hilal's midfielder pretended to be hit in the face by Ronaldo. He was diving, because Ronaldo's impact was very small. Bulaihi provoked, and then took advantage of our captain. VAR should have called the referee to review the situation, but they didn't do so."

The referee shows Cristiano Ronaldo a red card during the match where Al Nassr lost 1-2 to Al Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE, on the evening of April 8, 2024. Photo: Reuters

In the 86th minute, Bulaihi fought for the ball with Ronaldo from a throw-in. In response, the 39-year-old superstar raised his elbow and nudged his opponent, seemingly hitting the Al Hilal defender in the neck, causing him to fall and clutch his face. Players from both sides got into a scuffle, after which referee Mohammed Al Hoaish showed a red card, expelling the Al Nassr captain. When he saw the red card, Ronaldo raised his hand and threatened to punch the referee.

This is Ronaldo's first red card in six years, since his time playing for Real Madrid. During his career, the Portuguese superstar has received 12 red cards, four times more than Lionel Messi.

The Saudi Super Cup took place in the UAE, with VAR in operation, but the refereeing team was Saudi Arabian. According to the rules, VAR will only tell the referee to review the situation if there is a clear and obvious mistake. In this situation, referee Hoaish did not review it via the on-field monitor.

Ronaldo was sent off, ending Al Nassr's chances of progressing, as they were trailing 0-2. Sadio Mane pulled one back for Al Nassr late in the match, but there was not enough time left for them to turn the game around. Al Hilal reached the final, and will face Al Ittihad on the evening of April 11, also in Abu Dhabi.

Coach Castro is Portuguese, like his colleague Jorge Jesus of Al Hilal. When asked why Ronaldo reacted like that, Mr. Jesus said: "He is not used to the smell of failure, and that prospect affects Ronaldo's psychology."

Ronaldo was sent off the field, threatened to punch the referee

Ronaldo was sent off the field and threatened to punch the referee.

This season, Al Nassr were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League, the semi-finals of the Saudi Super Cup, finished second in the Saudi League and are considered out of the championship. They have only won one title, the Arab Club Champions Cup, and have reached the semi-finals of the King's Cup and will face Al Ittihad on April 30.

Hoang An

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