Published on 03:28 PM, April 09, 2024

Ronaldo red card ‘incorrect’, says Al-Nassr coach

Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo clashes with Al Hilal's Ali Al Bulayhi before being shown a red card by referee Mohammed Al Hoaish. Photo: Reuters

Al-Nassr coach Luis Castro claimed that his team's star player Cristiano Ronaldo was 'incorrectly' shown red card against Al-Hilal despite elbowing opposition player Ali Al-Bulayhi and raising a fist to the referee.

Ronaldo had a frustrating evening against Al-Hilal during his side's 2-1 defeat in the semi-final of the Saudi Super Cup.

He was first cautioned for vehement protests against the match official and later given marching orders for violent conduct towards defender Al-Bulayhi.

However, Al-Nassr manager Castro came out in passionate defence of Ronaldo and instead accused the Al-Hilal player of acting to get him sent off.

"The decision was incorrect," Castro said, speaking to reporters after the match.

"The Al Hilal defender pretended that he was hit in the face, and it was a play on his part, and the contact was small, and they took advantage of Ronaldo's provocation. The VAR referee was supposed to call the main referee, and this is my personal opinion," he added.

Ronaldo's frustration was palpable as the defeat saw them get knocked out of the Saudi Super Cup.