Cristiano Ronaldo could feel the full wrath of FIFA’s rules should he continue not to play for Al Nassr.
The Portugal captain refused to feature in a 1-0 win over Al Riyadh on Monday night over what he perceives as preferential treatment towards fellow Saudi PIF-owned side Al Hilal.
The transfer window has now closed and Karim Benzema switched from Al Ittihad to Hilal, while Nassr made no major signings for their title fight.
Next up is the aforementioned Ittihad, and should Ronaldo continue to stay on the sidelines, he could be in trouble.
La Razon in Spain have thumbed through the FIFA rulebook and report that the governing body’s rules would allow Nassr to sack Ronaldo.
On top of that option, they could also demand compensation on his £200million per-year salary, the highest figure of any athlete in the world.
Article 17 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players staes: “In all cases, the party that has suffered as a consequence of a breach of contract by the other party shall be entitled to compensation.
“Subject to the provisions on training compensation in Article 20 and Annex 4, and unless otherwise stipulated in the contract, compensation for breach shall be calculated taking into account the damage suffered, in accordance with the principle of ‘positive interest’, considering the particular facts and circumstances of each case, and duly taking into account the legislation of the country concerned.
“In addition to the obligation to pay compensation, sporting sanctions must be imposed on a player who terminates a contract during the protected period.
“The sanction will consist of a four-month restriction on their eligibility to play in any official match.”
If Ronaldo is dismissed by Nassr, he is not within the protected period of FIFA contracts which stands at two years for players over 28.
That means he would also be free to sign for another club.
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