“He Complained.. He Confronted Me” – Difference Between Cristiano Ronaldo & Lionel Messi’s Attitude Revealed by Saudi League Referee

Recently, a veteran Saudi League referee has laid bare how his experiences with Ronaldo and Messi starkly differ. Though he spoke of a heated interaction with CR7, Said Martinez said, ‘Ronaldo is demonstrative without being disrespectful’ and his interactions with Lionel Messi have been ‘calmer.’ Then, what is the interaction with Ronaldo that made the official say he was demonstrative? Let’s find out.

In an interview with Diario Diez, the Honduran international referee recalled the times he crossed paths with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Martinez said, “Refereeing Messi is a little calmer. He is a player who plays the ball and thinks about his game more than anything else. With Cristiano, the anecdote I have is that he complained to me, he confronted me because I disallowed two goals. He did not even trust the VAR, before the start of the second half I called him and let him know that I did not like the way he had confronted me,” said the Saudi League referee. However, he added that Ronaldo had realized his mistake and finally agreed with the former.

And speaking of Leo Messi, Martinez added, “With Messi, we shook hands before the game. I welcomed him and he thanked me. At the end of the game, I also remember that when everyone was chanting his name, he went to shake my hand. I will always remember that.” 

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The interviewer asked Martinez if he would give Messi or Cristiano a red card without thinking if the situation warrants it. He said, “I am a referee and I try to have as little prominence as possible, if one day they deserve it they will get a card, but it is not something that I am going to look for.” He was also asked about what is it like refereeing a game for Messi and CR 7. The Honduran international referee said, “Refereeing them, seeing them both score a goal from a free kick is something that I will never forget.”

Messi, indeed, seems to have a better equation than Ronaldo with referees. Nonetheless, all of CR7’s disagreements have not gone wrong. Instead, they have gone right, prompting the wrong decision-maker to apologize.

A renowned referee once apologized to Ronaldo for a wrong decision

After denying Portugal’s winning goal against Serbia in a World Cup qualifier, Dutch official Danny Makkelie apologized to Cristiano Ronaldo for the controversial decision. In stoppage time, Ronaldo unleashed a strike, which the rival defender cleared at the goal line. However, the ball had passed the line by a fraction. To the dismay of Al Nassr, VAR was not available then.

Anyhow, the Dutch referee said he had apologized to the then-Portugal coach, Fernando Santos, and his team. Hence, it is not always unwise of Ronaldo to question refereeing decisions per his judgment. What are your thoughts on Martinez’s Messi-Ronaldo memories? Tell us in the comments below.

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