Cristiano Ronaldo hilariously demands referee to be substituted after controversial moment in Al-Nassr win over Al-Ettifaq
Cristiano Ronaldo hilariously asked referee Piero Maza to be substituted during Al-Nassr's most recent King Cup of Champions clash against Al-Ettifaq on Tuesday (October 31).
Al-Alami won the round of 16 game 1-0, with Sadio Mane scoring the winner in extra time. The match, though, was marred with controversies throughout. Ronaldo was initially booked in the 38th minute for dissent.
At the stroke of half-time, it looked like Anderson Talisca had given Luis Castro's side the lead when he found the back of the net. The Brazilian's strike, however, was ruled out as the referee adjudged Ronaldo to be in an offside position.
While Maza initially allowed the goal, upon VAR review, the call was overturned. The decision sparked a hilarious reaction from Cristiano Ronaldo as the 38-year-old signaled towards the bench for the referee to be replaced.
You can see the moment below:
Further controversy followed as Talisca was sent off moments later for sticking his arm out. Maza gave Talisca a yellow at first but upon review, the Brazilian was given marching orders.
The drama didn't end there as Al-Ettifaq's Ali Lazazi was sent off in the 89th minute for a rash tackle, that sparked a mass brawl between the two teams.
Ronaldo also had a heated confrontation with Jordan Henderson after the match. The pair engaged in a verbal battle before the ex-Liverpool captain calmed things down.
Knights of Najd, however, managed to seal a spot in the quarter-finals of the competition with a 1-0 win. They will return to action on November 4, taking on Al-Khaleej in a Saudi Pro League home clash.
How has Cristiano Ronaldo performed for Al-Nassr this season?
While Ronaldo hasn't found the back of the net in his last two games for Al-Nassr, the Portuguese forward has been in great form in front of the goal this season. He has scored 14 goals and has provided eight assists in 15 matches across competitions for Luis Castro's team this season.
Ronaldo is currently the Saudi Pro League's top scorer with 11 goals from 10 matches and also has six assists to his name.
The 38-year-old has been in impressive form in the AFC Champions League as well, netting thrice in as many matches. Whether the Portuguese ends his two-game duck in front of the goal and finds the back of the net against Al-Khaleej on November 4 remains to be seen.