Al Nassr has already been taken aback this season with an adieu from the AFC Champions League. But their race for the Saudi Pro League campaign is also in jeopardy, with the rivals Al Hilal cruising away with a 12-point lead. On the other hand, it’s not just the points. Al Nassr’s captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, was also seen to be having issues with the referee’s decisions this season and took a sarcastic dig at them. Today, the Portuguese star will witness an Argentine referee, Facundo Tello, and his team officiating their game against rivals Al Ahli in the Saudi Clasico. But who is Tello? And what do we know about him?

The game is a necessary checkpoint for both teams in the race for second place in the league. With only 6 points differentiating Al Nassr and Al Ahli, a loss for either side can pose a threat to their second place. More importantly, no team would want unnecessary refereeing errors. So who is Facundo Tello, the man who has the whistle? 

All you need to know about Facundo Tello: referee for Al Nassr vs. Al Ahli

Facundo Tello was born in Bahía Blanca, Argentina. Aged 41, he started his career as an amateur soccer player when he was young and later became a referee. Facundo Tello started his senior career in 2013 and made a name for himself after being promoted to the Argentine Primera División, just after four games in the lower tier. He was given the license by FIFA in 2019, and the rest has been history.

Facundo Tello is known to be one of the best referees in Argentina. The Argentine has officiated in 309 matches until now, including major tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup, Copa Libertadores, and World Cup qualifying matches apart from other competitions. But despite his experience, the South American referee is not known to be a very pleasant figure on the pitch. Additionally, Cristiano Ronaldo already had a demanding experience in one of the most crucial games of his career.

Facundo Tello was the referee in Portugal’s shocking exit from the 2022 World Cup against Morocco, losing 1-0. Subsequently, he received criticism from Portugal’s players Pepe and Bruno Fernandes, claiming that an Argentine cannot officiate in Portugal’s game. Nonetheless, Ronaldo then was not keen on pointing fingers at the referee.

Contrarily, Cristiano Ronaldo has had a couple of issues with referees this season. Ronaldo demanded the withdrawal of a referee in Al Nassr’s King Cup match against Al Ettifaq after his allegedly poor decisions. This time, the 5-time Ballon d’Or winner saw the lighter side in an Instagram post at a referee’s decision to award Al Hilal a penalty. The video clip shows that the contact on the Al Hilal player was minimal, and the decision to judge it as a foul could have been a bit harsh.

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Moreover, Al Nassr today has Facundo Tello as the arbitrator, who is known to be fierce in booking players. Handing over a massive 1443 yellows and 56 direct red cards until now, the Argentine was under the spotlight in 2022 for giving red cards to ten players in a single game. The Champions Trophy final between Racing Club and Boca Juniors saw Facundo Tello handling three reds during different periods of the game and seven reds after a brawl between the players of the clubs. Overall, looks like both the teams today would have to play a milder game, keeping in mind Tello’s discipline.