Cristiano Ronaldo persuades referee to reverse penalty decision in Al Nassr's AFC Champions League match

In a dramatic AFC Champions League encounter, Cristiano Ronaldo influenced a referee's decision to overturn a penalty awarded to Al Nassr in their 0-0 draw against Persepolis.

Ovaise Shariff

First Published Nov 28, 2023, 12:53 PM IST | Last Updated Nov 28, 2023, 1:56 PM IST

Cristiano Ronaldo urged the referee to reconsider his decision to award a penalty during Al Nassr's AFC Champions League 0-0 draw against Persepolis. The 38-year-old football icon, formerly of Manchester United and Real Madrid, initially seemed to be fouled by Soroush Rafiei in the box, prompting Chinese referee Ma Ning to signal for a penalty kick.

However, Ronaldo promptly contested the call, expressing to the referee that there was no foul, accompanied by gestures of disagreement. Following a VAR consultation, the referee reviewed the incident on the pitch-side monitor and ultimately overturned his decision in the Group E clash held in Riyadh.

Despite playing most of the match with 10 men due to Ali Lajami's early red card, Al Nassr managed to secure a valuable point. Ronaldo himself had to exit the game with a neck injury caused by a collision with Persepolis goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand. Nonetheless, the draw proved sufficient for Al Nassr to advance to the knockout stages as group winners. Ronaldo faces a quick turnaround as Al Nassr prepares for a crucial league encounter against Al Hilal on Friday.

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