Cristiano Ronaldo will not play in the first leg of the AFC Champions League round of 16 because his team, Al Nassr, has left him out of the squad to face Esteghlal. The reason is that the player could face a penalty for adultery for a situation that occurred in 2023 and the opponent did not want to play in a neutral venue.
In September 2023, Al Nassr was hosted by another Tehran club, Persepolis, and due to the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo, thousands of fans besieged the team’s hotel. Police had to intervene to disperse the crowd because the safety of the players could be compromised.
After that, Cristiano Ronaldo was filmed giving a hug and a kiss on the forehead to Fatemeh Hammami Nasrabadi, an artist who suffers from a disability and paints with her feet. According to Iranian law, the gesture can be considered adultery, as the kiss is not directed by the spouse. The penalty includes up to 99 lashes.
Al Nassr sent a letter requesting to play at a neutral ground, but the proposal has not been accepted by their opponents. For this reason, it has been decided that Cristiano will not be included in the squad for the match.
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