"Cristiano Ronaldo is very difficult due to his temperament" - Referee recalls altercation with Al-Nassr star during SPL clash
Honduran referee Said Martinez has spoken about an altercation he had with Cristiano Ronaldo during a Saudi Pro League match. He claims to have managed a number of games that the legendary Portuguese striker partook in.
In one particular game, Martinez revealed that he had ruled out two of Ronaldo's goals, leading to a very upset striker, who confronted the referee. Martinez said (via Manchester Evening News):
"Cristiano Ronaldo is very difficult due to his temperament, he is a very competitive person, which makes him feel there's a lot of injustice towards him, so he complains a lot.
"We disallowed two goals for him, with VAR and everything, but there was a play that upset him because he felt he was fouled in attack, leading to a goal against them. They were losing."
Martinez continued:
"He stayed 10 metres away from me and said: 'It's always the same with you lot, you always think you're the stars, but we don't bring you here to be the stars, we are the stars,' in perfect Spanish. He started calmly but then got agitated and I just looked at him provocatively to see if he would get closer to me, but he didn't."
The referee went on to reveal that he confronted Cristiano Ronaldo at half-time over his comments, and the 39-year-old apologized:
"After checking the VAR, I asked him to come closer. Cristiano is Cristiano, and if he doesn't want to come, he won't. But he came over to where I was and I said to him: 'You're a great player, but what you said at halftime isn't right. I respect you a lot, but we're here to do our job just like you are'.
"He replied: 'Yes, you're right; it wasn't the right way to express myself. I apologise'. Indeed, he offered an apology and for the rest of the match, he didn't make any complaints, even delivering a stunning free-kick goal."
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 66 goals and provided 18 assists in 73 games across competitions for Al-Nassr since joining them in January 2023.
Cristiano Ronaldo is aiming for 1000 goals
Cristiano Ronaldo is aiming for 1000 career goals, having scored his 900th career goal during Portugal's Nations League match against Croatia. This took place on September 5, with the Selecao winning 2-1 as he scored the winner.
Currently, Ronaldo has hit 905 goals. With the legendary striker still playing at the age of 39 and looking far from retirement, he is clearly gunning for the 1000-goal mark. He has led Portugal to glory in the past, winning Euro 2016 and the Confederations Cup in 2017.
The World Cup has been rather elusive for the legend, and if he plays in the next tournament, which takes place in 2026, he will be 41 years old. It is uncertain if he will hit the 1,000-goal mark by then, or retire before that point. He is likely to be in action next on Saturday, October 12, when Portugal face Poland away in the Nations League.