Al-Nassr communicated the list of players selected by Stefano Pioli on Sunday to compete in the Eighth round of the AFC Champions League against the Iranian Esteghlal FC club. Scheduled for this Monday (5 p.m.), the match will therefore be played without a Cristiano Ronaldo left out by his coach. And this for a reason that would have nothing to do with football. “CR7” could be accused of alleged adultery, following an episode dating back to 2023.
In September of this famous year, the five-time Portuguese golden ball had moved with Al-Nassr on the side of Tehran to face the Persepolis club. As the Corriere della will be On Saturday, Cristiano Ronaldo took the opportunity to come and greet an Iranian artist named Fatemej Hammami Nasrabadi, paralyzed at 85% and who painted with his lower limbs. The Lusitanian had hugged him and kissing on the forehead. A gesture which, according to Iranian laws, can be interpreted as an adulterous gesture since not to be notaded to the spouse of the person in question.
Up to a hundred lashes for “CR7”
Al-Nassr therefore preferred to avoid the threat that weighed on his star leaving her at home. The punishment for such a gesture could cost Cristiano Ronaldo up to a hundred lashes, if we stick to the reading of the laws currently in Iran on the subject, added the Italian media. Initially, the representatives of Al-Nassr had requested a relocation of the meeting against Esteghlal, but the Iinian club had refused, however proposing a very special protection around “CR7”.
Without the Portuguese, Al-Nassr will therefore try to bring a good result of its trip. Marcelo Brozovic, Sadio Mané, Jhon Duran and the rest of the Stefano Pioli group will have to do what is necessary for the return match scheduled for March 10 in Saudi Arabia is only a formality to validate a qualification in the quarter -finals. And given the jet results of the Saudi team for a few weeks, the contract has not yet been fulfilled.
