“It Was Clearly a Dive” – Cristiano Ronaldo in Crosshairs After ‘Charitable’ Penalty Giveaway Against Persepolis

The soccer fraternity refuses to give up their debates about VARs and their controversial decisions. But the use of technology has become inevitable and a walk into the future. But in a recent match, Cristiano Ronaldo sacrificed a potential penalty kick in spite of the referee’s approval of the decision. On another note, the critics claim it to be an escape for Ronaldo!

Fans usually troll the Al Nassr star for scoring penalty goals left, right, and center. However, Ronaldo went the opposite way, rejecting the opportunity to step up to the spot in an act of sportsmanship. It led the experts to have a divided opinion, where one murmur of an escape for the Al Nassr captain echoed through the sports pundits!

Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty charity is speculated to be a dive!

Al Nassr met Persepolis FC in the penultimate round of the AFC Champions League group stage. The match official awarded Al Nassr a penalty after the CR7 tumbled to the ground in just the second minute. Regardless, Ronaldo refused the foul and clarified it with the referee. Notably, journalist Julien Laurens pointed out, “What I find it remarkable is that it was clearly a dive from Cristiano, right? But nobody says he dived. They don’t explain the incident.”

The journalist criticized the fans for not calling it a dive. Following the incident, Cristiano’s remarkable fair play became the topic of conversation in the town. But even though Laurens agreed it was a wonderful gesture, he still says it was a dive. He also claimed that the VAR had checked that, and Ronaldo’s word would not suffice to cancel the decision.

Another senior journalist and expert, Gab Marcotti, felt that it was a suitable time for a ‘charitable’ gesture by Cristiano Ronaldo while supporting the Portuguese star by asserting he did not dive. Yet, after watching the clip, you may wonder if it was a genuine penalty that the 5-time Ballon d’Or may have missed out on. But the result would hardly affect the Riyad-based team in the tournament.

Al Nassr’s dominance in the AFC Champions League

The game might not have ended as expected for the home team, but Al Nassr will go to the knockouts as the table topper. The team had won all four matches, as they were five points clear of the second-placed Persepolis.

READ MORE – Will Cristiano Ronaldo Play Against Al Hilal Despite Injury? Major Update on Al Nassr Star’s Recovery

Cristiano Ronaldo conquered the UEFA Champions League, winning it five times. But the star will now look to add the Asian continent title to his profile after dominating Europe. The all-time highest goal scorer may have gone blank in the game but is expected to do great things in the knockouts, backing his reputation. Do you think he can lift more trophies with Al Nassr?

WATCH THIS STORY: Cristiano Jr’s Insane Training Schedule