Cristiano Ronaldo’s Ban Reduced As Al Nassr Wins ‘Red Card’ Appeal Against Al Hilal – Reports

Cristiano Ronaldo will be counting his lucky stars tonight. The Al Nassr skipper has received another positive news just minutes after winning his legal battle against Juventus. According to reports, the Saudi Arabian Football Association has accepted Al Nassr’s appeal to lessen the Portuguese’s ban. Cristiano Ronaldo was slapped with a two-match ban after he picked up a red card against Al Hilal in the semifinals of the Saudi Super Cup earlier this month.

Despite his actions, Al Nassr, in their request, claimed the player did not display violent behavior and a two-game ban was too severe. It seems the Saudi Arabian FA agrees with the appeal and could issue an official statement in the coming hours. According to reports, “The suspension of Cristiano Ronaldo will be for one match only, and what happened between him and Ali Al-Bulaihi in the match between Al-Nasr and Al-Hilal was evaluated as a contact that was not violent behavior.”

The news surprised many fans after Cristiano was shown a red card for elbowing Ali Al-Bulaihi square in the chest. Cristiano Ronaldo also had an on-field spat with the match official which did not sit well with many. If the reports are to be believed, Cristiano will once miss the game against Al Feiha before making his return against Al Khaleej.

Massive relief for Al Nassr as Cristiano Ronaldo to return before Kings Cup clash

Luis Castro will take a sigh of relief as Cristiano Ronaldo will be back with the squad ahead of the team’s clash against Al Khaleej. The Knights of Najd face the side twice once in regular competitions, before locking horns with the club in the semifinals of the Kings Cup. Al Nassr has failed to get their hands on a single silverware this season. The Kings Cup could be the team’s only chance of redeeming what’s left of the season.

With their skipper back in the mix, it will be interesting to see how the team performs against their opponents. The second semifinals of the tournament will see Al Hilal lock horns against rivals Al Ittihad. Al Hilal has been the cream of the crop across all Middle Eastern competitions this season.

The side already has a firm grip on the Saudi Pro League while already securing the Saudi Super Cup and the Riyadh Season Cup. A win against Al Ittihad could see the team once again stand in Al Nassr’s way, as Cristiano Ronaldo continues to search for his first major title with the team.