Saudi Pro League to review disputed Cristiano Ronaldo goal beyond referees’ report

The Saudi Pro League’s compliance committee will not rely solely on the chief referees’ report when deciding who should be credited with Cristiano Ronaldo’s disputed goal for Al Nassr against Al Faisaly.

The Portugal captain’s effort was awarded during Friday’s 3-1 victory in round 11, but there has been debate over whether Ronaldo scored it or whether the ball went into the net accidentally off Al Faisaly defender Andre Girotto.

Tariq Kayal, chairman of the Saudi Pro League compliance committee, said the match referee’s statement would be reviewed alongside the other reports before a final decision was made.

“We are waiting for the referee’s statement on Monday and will study all the reports,” Kayal told Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiya. “If we are satisfied with them, we will decide whether to endorse them or reject them, record the goal with the correct decision, and then submit it to the league for approval.”

Kayal declined to reveal the contents of the chief referees’ report or say which player had officially been recorded as the scorer. He stressed that the committee’s ruling, once the case had been examined, would be final and could not be appealed.

He also said that no organisation or club would have the right to reject the committee’s decision.

The compliance committee is due to meet on Monday to consider reports from the previous round. Those documents will include submissions from media co-ordinators, match co-ordinators and stadium directors, with any alleged breaches to be identified before sanctions under the regulations are applied.

Despite the dispute, the match referee, Abdullah Al Owaidan, credited the goal to Ronaldo. That decision took the forward’s career tally to 982 goals, according to the report, leaving him 18 short of reaching 1,000.

Several international websites, however, listed the goal as an own goal by Girotto of Al Faisaly.

The victory moved Al Nassr on to 22 points and into third place in the Saudi Pro League table. Their position was set to remain subject to the result of the meeting between Al Qadsiah and Al Hilal.