Although cohabitation without marriage is illegal in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo's live-in relationship with his girlfriend has been the talk of the town.
Apart from this, star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is yet to make his debut for Saudi Arabia's Al Nasser Club. The Football Association of England has banned Ronaldo for two matches. He was to play his first match for Saudi Arabia against Saudi Pro League club Al-Tai.
But he didn't play. Ronaldo has signed a contract with Saudi Arabia until 2025 with a salary of around 1700 crore rupees.
Why didn't he play even though he was signed for such a salary?
Ronaldo previously played for Manchester United. Last Monday, he reached Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, where he was given a grand welcome. The next day, he was also received at the stadium of Al Nasser Club.
Ronaldo took part in training with players from his new club. Al-Nasr was confident that he would play the first match on January 6. About 28,000 tickets were sold for this match.
But it was only then that Al Nasser was informed that he had been handed a two-match ban by the FA in November. The ban follows an incident at a match in April.
Ronaldo allegedly tapped the phone of one of his fans.
Why was it banned?
The man involved in Ronaldo's phone-knocking incident is autistic. Ronaldo has apologised for knocking on the phone of an autistic person. However, the fan refused to accept the apology.
Manchester United lost the match 0-1. After the match, Ronaldo was walking through the tunnel set up for soccer players. He then made the mobile phone fall from a boy's hand by slapping the boy's hands hard.
Ronaldo was also cautioned by the police for the incident. He later apologised on social media. He also invited the fan to watch a match at Old Trafford.
Speaking about the incident, he said, “It is not easy to control our emotions in difficult situations." "But despite all this, we have to set an example for the youth who love this beautiful sport by adopting a polite manner,” he said.
Jack, a 14-year-old with autism, turned down Ronaldo's offer. He didn't even accept his apology. He could not be banned because of the World Cup football tournament. So now he will have to face that hurdle at his new club.
What do the FIFA rules say?
According to FIFA rules, if a player is banned for four matches or three months and cannot serve it until his transfer takes place, it must be served after the player signs a new contract and joins a new club.
Ronaldo was also told at the time that the ban would be enforced whether he stayed at the same club or moved to another club. Al-Nasser Club's next match will be on January 14 and 21. However, Ronaldo is expected to play his first match for his new club on January 21. On that day, Al-Nasser plays against the Itfaq Club.
Is Saudi Arabia bending the law for Ronaldo?
Cristiano Ronaldo and his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez are in a live-in relationship without getting married. This is wrong according to Saudi Arabian law. According to the country's law, cohabitation is illegal.
However, it is expected that Ronaldo and his girlfriend will not be punished by the authorities for this. Spanish news agency EFE reported that Ronaldo is unlikely to be punished because he is one of the world's most popular sportsmen and a foreigner.
Ronaldo and Rodriguez have two children. And Ronaldo has three children, including twins. The Indian Express quoted two Saudi lawyers as saying Accordingly, legal experts expect that the authorities will not get involved in Ronaldo's situation.
A lawyer said, “Even though the law prohibits cohabitation without a marriage contract, the authorities have stopped harassing anyone." "These laws, of course, are invoked when a problem or crime occurs,” the news release said.
Another lawyer said, “Saudi Arabian authorities do not interfere in such matters in the case of foreigners." "But the law prohibits cohabitation without marriage,” he said.
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