‘Respect the referees even if they make mistakes’ — Ronaldo slams Saudi stars, denies officiating favours

Cristiano Ronaldo has called on Saudi Pro League players to stop accusing referees of favouring Al Nassr FC after tempers flared during their heated 2-0 win over Al-Ahli.

The Portuguese superstar insisted officials deserve more respect, even when mistakes are made after a barrage of accusations of favouritism from the referees towards Al Nassr.

Tensions erupted at full-time after Merih Demiral furiously confronted the referee over his decision not to send off Kingsley Coman for a heavy challenge.

The Al-Ahli defender’s anger escalated into a heated confrontation involving players from both teams before teammates intervened.

Ronaldo was then drawn into the controversy after Demiral appeared to imply that Al-Nassr benefit from favourable officiating.

The pair exchanged gestures on the pitch, with Demiral pointing to his AFC Champions League medals while Ronaldo responded by holding up five fingers to reference his UEFA Champions League triumphs.

Speaking after the match, Ronaldo strongly rejected suggestions that referees favour his Al Nassr team and warned that such claims damage the credibility of Saudi football.

“They must respect the referees; even if they make mistakes, they are human and they do errors,” he said.

The 41-year-old added that repeated public accusations from players are harmful if the Saudi Pro League wants to continue growing.

“These kinds of statements are not good for the league. We must put a stop to this if we want to compete with the best European leagues,” Ronaldo stressed.

Ronaldo’s side remain top of the table with an eight-point lead after the win, with the veteran once again on the scoresheet as he moved to 970 career goals.