28 April 2023 , 21:59
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Cristiano Ronaldo was at the centre of debate among fans during Al-Nassr's 4-0 home win over Al-Raed after he was left seething having not been awarded a penalty.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner reacted furiously after he was seemingly brought down inside the penalty area and told to get back up by the official. To make matters worse for Ronaldo, the incident was reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee and the on-field decision to play on was not overturned.
Ronaldo threw his arms up in frustration and appeared to voice his disbelief as he was left stunned a penalty was not awarded. Fortunately it made little difference to the outcome as Al-Nassr ran out comfortable winners to keep pressure on Al-Ittihad at the top of the table.
Footage of the incident posted on social media sparked a split of opinion with fans either defending Ronaldo, or accusing the 38-year-old of going to ground far too easily. The first reply to footage of the incident reads: "Clear penalty", followed by a laughing emoji.
Their sentiment was echoed by another fan who added: "Disgrace of a decision.. HOW ARE THESE PEOPLE IN CHARGE."
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Yet not everyone was convinced, with another user disagreeing and writing: "Never a penalty, great dive!", while another supporter used the moment as a chance to praise Ronaldo's long-term Ballon d'Or rival Lionel Messi.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Should Ronaldo and Al-Nassr have been given a penalty? Comment here
Cristiano Ronaldo believed he should've been award a penalty for this incident (Sky Sports)They wrote: "One of the few good things about Messi. He doesn't dive. Literally every other footballer does it so can't blame Ronaldo. But credit where credits due."
Ronaldo's latest outburst isn't even his first this week, with the former Manchester United man blasting his own coaching staff during the surprise defeat by Al-Wehda in the King Cup of Champions semi-final.
He made no effort to hide his frustration as Ronaldo laid into his team-mates and the Al-Nassr bench as the players made their way off the pitch at the interval.
There has been plenty of speculation suggesting Ronaldo played a part in the sacking of Rudi Garcia, the manager was in charge for less than 10 months before he was sacked from his post.
Spanish publication has claimed that Ronaldo complained to senior figures within the club that Garcia's tactics were not getting the best out of his ability or the team as a collective.
Individually, Ronaldo has enjoyed an impressive start to life at Al-Nassr, with 12 goals in 12 league outings