A referee from the Saudi Pro League has shared an intriguing account of what it’s like to officiate Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 39-year-old forward made waves when he joined the league in 2023, triggering a cultural shift in football and attracting other big names, significantly raising the SPL’s profile.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has maintained his dominant presence in his new environment, driven by his relentless mentality and desire to remain the best.
However, this competitive edge also presents challenges, as noted by an official who recently had a heated exchange with the star player.
In an interview with Mexican outlet Mediotiempo, 33-year-old referee Said Martinez described Ronaldo as a “very difficult” player to manage due to his temperament. According to the Daily Mail’s translation, Martinez explained:
“Cristiano Ronaldo is very difficult because of his temperament. He’s very competitive, which makes him feel that there’s a lot of injustice against him, so he complains frequently.”
“We disallowed two of his goals using VAR, but there was another play where he felt he was fouled in attack, leading to a goal against them. They were losing at the time.”
“He stood about 10 meters away and said, ‘It’s always the same with you lot, you always think you’re the stars, but we don’t bring you here to be the stars; we are the stars.’ He started calmly but got agitated. I stared at him provocatively to see if he would get closer, but he didn’t.”
Martinez’s account, along with other reports like those from Antonio Cassano, suggests that Ronaldo does not respond well when he feels disrespected or treated unfairly, as was evident in his interaction with the Honduran referee.
However, Martinez noted that Ronaldo approached him after the match to apologize for his behavior.
Even though Ronaldo is no longer playing in Europe’s top leagues, his fiery nature and goal-scoring abilities remain as intense as ever.
In 2023, the legendary forward managed to avoid punishment after confronting a referee following his teammate Talisca’s red card.
Initially, Talisca appeared to give Al-Nassr the lead, but a VAR check ruled that Ronaldo was offside and interfering with play, disallowing the goal.
Later in the match, Chilean referee Piero Maza reviewed an incident involving Talisca, who was initially given a yellow card.
After reviewing the footage, Maza upgraded it to a red card, showing that the Brazilian had deliberately used his arm. Ronaldo, who had been booked earlier for dissent, narrowly escaped a second yellow card despite another emotional reaction during the first half.