Ronaldo sparks fury in Saudi Arabia ahead of Pro League Classico

Suraj Radia

• 8 Mar 2023 11:08 GMT
• 2 min read

It didn’t take long for Cristiano Ronaldo to become the centre of controversy in Saudi Arabia after his ‘friend’ Mateu Lahoz was appointed as the referee for Al Nassr’s derby against Al-Ittihad.

The game is considered a ‘super clasico’ in Saudi Arabia between two of the country’s biggest teams, with Ronaldo’s side leading their rivals by two points at the top of the table.

However, Saudi league officials have been accused of favouritism by appointing Lahoz for the game, with the Spaniard considered one of the most high-profile referees in the world, having officiated in La Liga since 2008.

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The 45-year-old is familiar with Ronaldo from the forward’s time at Real Madrid and the pair have a history of confrontations, such is Lahoz’s reputation as a controversial official.

But the decision has drawn ‘considerable disgust’ in Saudi Arabia according to Spanish outlet AS as many fans believe Lahoz ‘loves Cristiano’, with pictures being circulated of Ronaldo and the referee affectionately hugging.

Saudi journalist Manar Al-Shahenoo is quoted as saying that Lahoz and Ronaldo ‘are friends’, leading to claims that there is no ‘fair arbitration’ for one of the league’s most pivotal matches.

The history of Ronaldo and Lahoz

Lahoz refereed more than 30 Real Madrid games while Ronaldo was with the Spanish side between 2009 and 2018 and the duo have a history of controversy together.

In 2015 in a Clasico between Real and Barcelona, Ronaldo is believed to have made a crude gesture to Lahoz while exclaiming ‘Hey Mateu, do you like it, huh? Do you like it?!’ while the referee’s back was turned.

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Lahoz himself visited the Portuguese superstar in the dressing room after a 2016 game in the hopes of apologising after missing an alleged penalty call on Ronaldo, reportedly asking him ‘Are you angry, Cristiano?’

The referee also came under fire from Ronaldo’s rival Lionel Messi during the recent 2022 World Cup after he gave a staggering 19 yellow cards in their last-16 game against the Netherlands.

Lahoz has a reputation for giving excessive bookings and has refereed in two Saudi games before, including one game in 2019 where he issued eight yellow cards and three reds.