Al Nassr Requests Foreign Referees for Matches, Citing Fair Play Concerns

Al Nassr, a prominent football club, has formally requested the appointment of foreign referees for all of their upcoming matches in the Saudi Pro League until the international break in October. This move comes after growing concerns about perceived bias from local referees.

The decision to request foreign referees was prompted by incidents where Al Nassr felt they were unfairly treated by local officials. One such incident involved Cristiano Ronaldo, who had a goal disallowed during a match against Al Shabab. The disallowed goal led to a contentious video assistant referee (VAR) review, ultimately resulting in Ronaldo's frustration and his famous exclamation, "Always against me!"

Al Nassr striker Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates a goal in the match against Al Fateh at the Prince Abdullah Bin Jalawi Stadium on August 25, 2023. (ALI AL-HAJI / AFP)

In another match against Al Shorta in the Arab Club Cup, Ronaldo had a goal ruled out for offside after a VAR review. The decision sparked controversy, as Ronaldo's hand position was disputed, and the offside rule regarding hands is a topic of debate.

Al Nassr decided to take action after Ronaldo and the team encountered similar issues during a playoff match in the AFC Champions League. Ronaldo's frustration escalated to the point where he confronted the referee and even engaged with stadium stewards.

By requesting foreign referees, Al Nassr aims to ensure fair and impartial officiating in their matches. Several renowned foreign referees, including England's Michael Oliver and Spain's Mateu Lahoz, have previously overseen games in the Saudi Pro League. Al Nassr hopes that the presence of world-class referees will lead to smoother matches without the controversies they've experienced in the past.

Currently, Al Nassr holds the sixth position in the Saudi Arabian League, with nine points from five matches.