After seeing a score disallowed by video assistant referee, Cristiano Ronaldo’s manager slammed a phone into the official’s face.
On Friday night, Al-Hilal, the league leaders, and second-place Al-Nassr, coached by Ronaldo, were involved in a drаmаtic Saudi Pro League match. Despite going down a man, Al-Hilal still managed to win the top-of-the-table match 3-0.
But the ex-Manchester United forward’s first-half goal-scoring illusion was one of the game’s most contentious moments. An angry Luis Castro, boss of Al-Nassr, pushed his phone into an official’s face after learning he was actually offside, in an attempt to show the official that their verdict was incorrect by playing back the disputed incident.
In spite of the fact that Ronaldo’s knee was slightly offside, Castro was adamant that their goal should have stood, according to automated offside technology. The video or photo on his phone, unsurprisingly, did little to bolster his case.
Following the derby, Ronaldo, Castro, and Al Nassr were both mocked online for their ridiculousness.
“This guy is too funny!” one X user tweeted, while another thought it would be a good idea to take the Al-Nasr coach’s phone and do away with video assistant referees. Meanwhile, a third said, “Adding a modern twist to contesting referee decisions!” and a third rolled their eyes: “More tears.”