Known for his remarkable goal-scoring feats on the pitch, Cristiano Ronaldo has once more surprised football fans by showing commendable sportsmanship by objecting to a penalty the referee awarded his side.
During the Asian Champions League (AFC) match between Ronaldo's Al Nassr and the Iranian club Persepolis, the former Real Madrid star was knocked down while trying to score on a cross from Sadio Mane.
Judging a foul, Chinese referee Ma Ning awarded a penalty to the Ronaldo-led Saudi side — a decision to which the Portuguese star objected immediately.
The referee then reviewed the replay — which showed that there was no foul — via the video assistant referee (VAR) and revoked his penalty call.
Though there have been a few instances of this kind where a player has been forthright with the referee and acknowledged that there was no penalty, this particular image featuring the Portuguese star has never been seen before.
The match ended in a draw with both teams failing to find the back of the net.
It is pertinent to mention that Al Nassr — prior to the match — had already become eligible for the knockout stages. After five games, the Saudi Pro League team leads Group E with 13 points, five points ahead of Persepolis who are in second place.
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