Asian Champions League: Ronaldo didn’t miss clash with Esteghlal over fear of 99 lashes – Iran Embassy

Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence from Al-Nassr’s recent Asian Champions League clash with Iranian side Esteghlal was not due to claims that he would face 99 lashes for adultery, according to the Iranian embassy.

The Portuguese superstar did not travel to Tehran for Monday’s match, having also missed Al-Nassr’s previous encounter in the competition against Persepolis, another Tehran-based club, last month.

Speculation had arisen that the 40-year-old was facing potential legal consequences in Iran due to an interaction with disabled Iranian painter Fatima Hamami in 2023. Ronaldo had greeted Hamami with a hug and a kiss, which reportedly violated Iranian law, where touching a married woman is considered adulterous.

However, the Iranian embassy has dismissed such reports, insisting that no legal action was ever taken against the footballer.

“We strongly deny the issuance of any court ruling against any international athlete in Iran,” a spokesperson for the embassy told talkSPORT. “His sincere and humane meeting with Fatima Hamami was also praised and admired by both the people and the country’s sports authorities.”

Meanwhile, reports from Saudi Arabia have suggested that Ronaldo’s absence was instead due to muscle fatigue.

Amid the initial controversy, Hamami, who paints with her feet, defended Ronaldo, emphasizing that their meeting was purely respectful. During their encounter, she presented him with a portrait of himself, and in return, Ronaldo gifted her one of his shirts.

Responding to the accusations, Hamami expressed her gratitude for Ronaldo’s kindness and dismissed the claims made against him.

“Unemployed lawyers made accusations against him without my or my family’s permission,” she said in 2023.

“In Iran, he has committed a crime for hugging me, while we have never had any complaints… I am very grateful to Ronaldo for his love and love towards me. I hope the best happens to him in life and football.

“No one told him anything about the laws of Iran, and he didn’t know it either, but Ronaldo’s hug was for his love and brotherhood, and he had no bad intentions.

“My family and I have no complaints about this issue, we just want to deny these accusations against Cristiano.”