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

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

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“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.