Cristiano Ronaldo received mixed reactions from fans on social media following a tense moment during Al-Nassr's match against Al-Ettifaq on Friday night. The 40-year-old star showed his frustration after John Duran was controversially sent off in the 95th minute for a tap on Abdulelah Al-Malki's head. 

This incident contributed to Al-Nassr's 3-2 defeat, leaving the team in fourth place in the standings, behind Al-Qadasiya.

Cristiano Ronaldo's gesture angered fans

The Al-Ettifaq midfielder exaggerated the contact, falling to the ground and rolling around while clutching his head. This scene was sufficient to persuade the referee to dismiss Duran, prompting Ronaldo to lose his temper and ultimately kick the ball away from the kickoff spot into the stands. Before this, the striker could be seen angrily gesturing to the linesman, raising his arms in disbelief and protesting the decision.

One wrote on X: 'Continues to embarrass himself.'

Another added: 'This f****** man-child should have gotten a yellow card for that.'

A third said, 'It's literally his league. There's no one that can punish him and that's why he does these things.'

Ronaldo then moved towards the dugout, engaging in a heated conversation with the fourth official. Fans voiced their opinions on social media, expressing disappointment in the veteran forward's actions and suggesting he could exhibit more maturity. 

Al-Nassr's coach, Stefano Pioli, addressed the situation with understanding, noting that while he felt the decision was questionable, he also emphasised the importance of his players maintaining their composure in challenging moments.

"Today's match started well and we took the lead, but what made the difference were the mistakes." Pioli said.

"Everyone is responsible for mistakes. I am the first one responsible for correcting mistakes and we do the work very seriously. We did not lose the match for tactical reasons, but because of the individual mistakes we made." he added.

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