Ronaldo was in line to make his debut for the Saudi Arabian club on Thursday but it has been delayed…
Cristiano Ronaldo was unveiled by new club Al-Nassr on Tuesday after signing for the Saudi Arabian club on a free transfer.
Ronaldo has signed on a two-and-a-half-year deal and will reportedly earn £175m per season when wages and commercial earnings are combined. After bringing the self-proclaimed ‘unique’ player to the club, Al-Nassr will be itching to get him out on the field.
Al-Nassr’s next match is against Al T’aee on Thursday and in anticipation of Ronaldo making his debut, the club were able to sell all 28,000 seats for the Pro League clash – however a spanner has been thrown in the works of the club’s grand plan.
Last season, Ronaldo was filmed smacking a child’s hand which in turn damaged his phone, after Manchester United’s game against Everton. An investigation was launched by the police and the FA and in November of last year the Portuguese forward was slapped with a £50,000 fine and a two-game suspension.
The Independent FA panel chaired by Christopher Quinlan KC found Ronaldo guilty of “a deliberate and forceful slap down” which was considered “a petulant act.”
Ronaldo of course left United before he could serve the ban following his interview with Piers Morgan, but it seems he will not be able to escape the suspension part of the punishment even by moving to a new league, as per the Daily Mail.
This is due to Article 12.1 of FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players. I says as follows: “Any disciplinary sanction of up to four matches or up to three months that has been imposed on a player by the former association but not yet (entirely) served by the time of the transfer shall be enforced by the new association at which the player has been registered in order for the sanction to be served at domestic level.”
When imposing the ban on Ronaldo, the FA said: “We note the Player has participated in a recently published interview in which he has criticised MUFC. We know not what effect that may nor will have on his future with that club nor whether it will take disciplinary action in respect thereof. The suspension we have imposed must have effect.
In other words, it applies to MUFC’s first team competitive matches for which he is eligible for selection. Should he leave MUFC before it completes two first team competitive matches the balance of the suspension will apply to any new club he should join.”
After tomorrow, Al Nassr return to action on Saturday, January 14 in a derby against Al-Shabab.
