Cristiano Ronaldo’s tunnel gesture to referee who disallowed his goals says it all about him

Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘true’ character was exposed after a referee opened up on a bust-up with the Manchester United icon following an encounter in the Saudi Pro League

A Honduran referee has lifted the lid on a heated exchange he had with Cristiano Ronaldo which ended with the Portuguese striker offering an apology.

Said Martinez, who has been in the middle for several games featuring the ex-Real Madrid hero, recounted one particularly edgy incident involving the 39-year-old. It occurred during a match in Saudi Pro League, where Martinez disallowed two goals scored by Ronaldo and subsequently engaged in a fiery clash with him.

Martinez disclosed that despite Ronaldo’s frustration, he ultimately received an apology from the former Manchester United talisman for stepping out of line – a gesture speaking volumes about Ronaldo’s personality. Although complimentary about Ronaldo’s sportsmanship, the FIFA-accredited official also pointed out that the Portuguese superstar “complains a lot”.

“Cristiano Ronaldo is very difficult due to his temperament, he is a very competitive person, which makes him feel there’s a lot of injustice towards him, so he complains a lot,” Martinez said. “We disallowed two goals for him, with VAR and everything, but there was a play that upset him because he felt he was fouled in attack, leading to a goal against them. They were losing.”

“He stayed ten metres away from me and said: ‘It’s always the same with you lot, you always think you’re the stars, but we don’t bring you here to be the stars, we are the stars,’ in perfect Spanish,” Martinez added. “He started calmly but then got agitated and I just looked at him provocatively to see if he would get closer to me, but he didn’t.”

Martinez summoned the courage to confront the iconic striker over his alleged comments. Ronaldo then showed his class by apologising and admitting he was wrong, reports the Express.

“After checking the VAR, I asked him to come closer. Cristiano is Cristiano, and if he doesn’t want to come, he won’t,” Martinez continued. “But he came over to where I was and I said to him: ‘You’re a great player, but what you said at halftime isn’t right. I respect you a lot, but we’re here to do our job just like you are’.

“He replied: ‘Yes, you’re right; it wasn’t the right way to express myself. I apologise’. Indeed, he said sorry to me and didn’t make any complaints in the second half, even delivering a stunning free-kick goal.”

While many footballers and officials can boast of sharing the pitch with some of the game’s legends, not all can claim to have encountered both Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. In addition to his face-off with Ronaldo, Martinez also shared insights into his interaction with the World Cup champion after refereeing one of Messi’s matches.

The referee disclosed details about the Argentine’s composed nature during his debut for Inter Miami in July 2023. Martinez noted Messi’s contrasting approach to Ronaldo, highlighting his “calm” demeanour and praising his affable personality.

“He (Messi) doesn’t get angry easily. When he complains about something, he is usually calm. I saw the most humble gesture of Messi that day,” Martinez said.

“The whole stadium was chanting his name and he came to shake hands with four Honduran referees. The stadium was chanting ‘Messi Messi Messi Messi’ and he went to shake our hands and congratulated us and gave us a pat on the back and said what a good game and what a good job.

“That kind of thing is worth more than anything else.”

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