From the Liveblog of
Monday, December 26, 2022
Erdogan claims Ronaldo had ‘political ban’ at World Cup due to support for Palestinians
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes a bizarre claim that famed Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo was given a “political ban” at the World Cup in Qatar because of his purported support for Palestinians.
“They have wasted Ronaldo. Unfortunately, they have imposed a political ban on him,” Erdogan says according to comments translated by Al Jazeera.
“Sending a footballer like Ronaldo to the pitch with just 30 minutes remaining to the match ruined his psychology and took away his energy,” Erdogan adds, saying that “Ronaldo is someone who stands for the Palestinian cause.”
Ronaldo has never made any public statements in support of the Palestinian cause, although some doctored images claiming that he has have circulated widely in the past.
The Times of Israel Community.