Cristiano Ronaldo has been banned from making his much awaited debut for his Saudi Arabian side tomorrow night, Mail Online can reveal.
His new club Al Nassr, who are reportedly paying him £175 million a year, have sold all 28,000 seats for the match against Al Ta’ee and were set to see him kick-off his Arabian venture amid huge fanfare.
But the self-proclaimed ‘unique’ player, who left Manchester United in controversy, is still to be punished for a misdemeanor and has been told he is barred from starring for Al Nassr.
Ronaldo was hit with a £50,000 fine and suspended for two games by the England Football Association on November 17th.
He was found guilty of improper and violent conduct after he smashed an Everton fan’s phone from his hand after United lost a match at Goodison Park last April.
He slapped the hand of Jacob Harding as he stormed down the tunnel, damaging the boy’s phone.
His mother Sarah Kelly said her son’s hand was also bruised by Ronaldo.
While the investigation was ongoing last month, it was reported that Ronaldo would accept an improper conduct charge from the FA, but was determined to fight the threat of a potential ban.
But the winter World Cup meant Premier League football was put on hold.
United played Fulham on November 13th and resumed first team action post Qatar on 21st December against Burnley in the EFL Cup.
The ban carries onto his next club and effectively bars Al Nassr from parading its new star striker until it has played two competitive matches that he would have been available for.
Article 12.1 of FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players says: ‘Any disciplinary sanction of up to four matches or up to three months that has been imposed on a player by the former association but not yet (entirely) served by the time of the transfer shall be enforced by the new association at which the player has been registered in order for the sanction to be served at domestic level.’
This point had been noted by the FA when they imposed the ban and explained their written reasons on the case in November.
They had said: ‘We note the Player has participated in a recently published interview in which he has criticised MUFC. We know not what effect that may nor will have on his future with that club nor whether it will take disciplinary action in respect thereof. The suspension we have imposed must have effect.
‘In other words, it applies to MUFC’s first team competitive matches for which he is eligible for selection. Should he leave MUFC before it completes two first team competitive matches the balance of the suspension will apply to any new club he should join.’
‘That applies with the Premier League and by virtue of Article 12.1 of FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, beyond: “Any disciplinary sanction of up to four matches or up to three months that has been imposed on a player by the former association but not yet (entirely) served by the time of the transfer shall be enforced by the new association at which the player has been registered in order for the sanction to be served at domestic level.
‘When issuing the ITC, the former association shall notify the new association via TMS of any such disciplinary sanction that has yet to be (entirely) served.’
After tomorrow’s match which he will miss, Al Nassr do not play again until Saturday 14 January in a derby against Al-Shabab.
The ban will come as a bitter blow to thousands of Ronaldo’s new club fans who snapped up tickets as well as queued for shirts with his name and ‘7’ number.
More than 5,000 Ronaldo shirts at around £50-a-time were sold in the club store over the last 24 hours, the manager told Mailonline.
His image is emblazoned on billboards across Riyadh and he has a 24-hour security detail and is ferried around in a fleet of cars with blacked out windows.
But Al Nassr will still parade him from the stands tomorrow night as he has said he wants to see his team mates play.
Despite Ronaldo saying various clubs in Portugal, across Europe and in Brazil had been keen to sign him, it is reported that he was rejected by multiple European teams – despite being made available at a huge discount of £80k-a-week.
