Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez are set to break a law in Saudi Arabia after the five-time Ballon d’Or winner signed with Al Nassr.
After becoming a free agent following his Manchester United termination, Ronaldo has penned a two-and-a-half year deal for the Saudi Pro League outfit and is in line to earn a record-breaking £173 million per season.
He jetted in to Riyadh, Saudi’s capital, earlier this week before being officially presented as Al Nassr’s biggest ever signing.
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Featured Image Credit: Alamy
Ronaldo’s family were also brought out onto the pitch at Nassr’s Mrsool Park during the ceremony.
There’s no word on where the clan will be residing during their adventure in the Middle East but Ronaldo and Georgina will be breaking the law in Saudi Arabia by living together.
In Saudi Arabia, it is illegal to live in the same house without being married. Ronaldo and his other half met when she worked at a Gucci store in Madrid back in 2016 and they have two children together, Bella and Alana.
Ronaldo also has eldest son Cristiano Jr and twins Eva and Mateo, who were all born from surrogate mothers.
But Ronaldo and Georgina are yet to be married and so they would technically be falling foul of the law by sharing the same roof in Saudi.
However, SPORT, citing an EFE report, say that Ronaldo, being one of the most marketable athletes in the world, is likely to be let off the hook.
Image: Alamy
Two Saudi lawyers both expect the relevant authorities to pass on punishing the power couple.
One said: “Although the laws still prohibit cohabitation without a marriage contract, the authorities have begun to turn a blind eye and do not persecute anyone. Of course, these laws are used when there is a problem or a crime.”
A second added: “The Saudi Arabian authorities, today, do not interfere in this matter [in the case of foreigners], but the law continues to prohibit cohabitation outside of marriage.”
Ronaldo has said he wants to marry Georgina in the future, telling Piers Morgan that they both “deserve” it.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid superstar will reportedly have to wait a short while to make his Al Nassr debut as he is still required to serve a two-match ban from during his time in England.
It stems from when Ronaldo was charged with improper conduct by the FA last year after he appeared to slap a boy’s phone out of his hand while heading down the tunnel at Old Trafford, following United’s 1-0 loss to Everton.
He was hit with a £50,000 fine and a two-game suspension.
There was some talk that Nassr were trying to explore ways to get around it but their clash with Al Ta’ee was postponed until Friday due to heavy rain affecting the stadium’s electricity.
Cristiano Ronaldo left stunned and faces humiliating wait to make Al-Nassr debut
Cristiano Ronaldo has been left shocked after his Al-Nassr debut was pushed back – and the forward faces a humiliating wait to get going as he still needs to serve his two-match ban
Ronaldo faces an agonising wait to make his Al Nassr debut (Image: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Cristiano Ronaldo faces an anxious wait to discover if his debut for Saudi Arabia side Al-Nassr will be put on hold until the end of this month.
Ronaldo has been left stunned after the Saudi outfit’s league game against Al Tae’e today (Thursday January 5) was postponed – due to heavy rain causing an electrical fault at their Mrsool Park stadium. Al Nassr bosses are attempting to re-arrange the game for tomorrow after drafting in a team of electrical specialists.
But if the problem cannot be fixed Ronaldo will be denied the chance to serve the first game of his two-match suspension. Ronaldo, who has signed a deal worth $400m (£335m), is pencilled in to make his debut for the Saudi Pro League side against Al-Ettifaq on January 22 – once he completes a two-match suspension imposed by the English FA in November for knocking a phone out of an Everton fan’s hand in a game with Manchester United at Goodison Park last season.
FIFA rules state that suspensions imposed by national associations must still be served by players in the event of a transfer to a different country before the ban has been completed.
Ronaldo’s ban was confirmed after his United contract was cancelled during the World Cup.
Ronaldo was set to start in Al Nassr’s match against Al Tae’e – but the game was called off due to an electrical failure at their Mrsool Park stadium – caused by heavy rain (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Ronaldo was banned after smashing a fan’s phone while playing for former club Man United against Everton (Image: @evertonhub/Twitter)
With the 37-year-old unable to play against Al Tae’e or Riyadh rivals Al Shabab on January 14, Ronaldo’s first chance to turn out for Al-Nassr will be against Al-Ettifaq on January 22.
But if the game against Al Tae’e cannot be re-scheduled for Friday and doesn’t go ahead, Ronaldo’s suspension would then cover the games against Al Shabab and Al-Ettifaq, leaving him waiting for his debut until the Saudi Super Cup semi-final against Al Ittihad in Jeddah on January 25.
Al-Nassr said in a statement: “Due to heavy rain and weather conditions impacting the stadium’s electricity, we have been officially informed that tonight’s match against Al Tae’e is postponed for 24 hours.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused to fans and wish everyone safe travels.”
Source: sportbible.com; dailystar.co.uk
