Cristiano Ronaldo will not feature in Al Nassr’s AFC Champions League round of 16 first-leg match against Esteghlal after the Saudi club opted to leave him out of the traveling squad, MySportDab Reports.
The decision comes amid concerns that Ronaldo could face legal repercussions over an incident from 2023, while Esteghlal refused to play at a neutral venue.
During Al Nassr’s visit to Tehran in September 2023 for a match against Persepolis, Ronaldo was at the center of massive fan attention, with thousands gathering outside the team’s hotel. Security forces had to intervene to ensure the safety of the players.
While in Iran, Ronaldo was filmed hugging and kissing the forehead of Fatemeh Hammami Nasrabadi, a disabled artist known for painting with her feet.
Under Iranian law, such a gesture can be considered adultery, as it was not directed toward his spouse, with a possible penalty of 99 lashes.
Fearing potential legal issues, Al Nassr requested to move the match to a neutral ground, but Esteghlal rejected the proposal.
As a precaution, the Saudi club has decided not to include Ronaldo in the squad for the fixture in Iran.
Al Nassr will now have to face Esteghlal without their star player as they seek to advance in the competition.
