In the AFC Champions League, Portuguese soccer superstar C. Ronaldo made his debut, and his outstanding performance helped Ainas advance to the group stage with a 4-2 win over Sabi Al Ali. However, he expressed his dissatisfaction with referee Fu Ming's repeated failure to award penalties during the match, getting emotional and arguing with the referee, a scene that quickly sparked heated debate online. Even Chinese fans, who remain neutral, have called for Chinese referees not to be in charge of international matches, arguing that their performance was too disrespectful.
The refereeing team for the match was all from China, with referee Fu Ming making several controversial calls on the field. In the first half alone, Cristiano Ronaldo was fouled three times in the penalty area, but he did not receive a penalty kick. In addition, Fu Ming also failed to award a penalty when a Shabi Al Ali player handballed in the penalty area.
In the second half, another Ainas star, Shadio Vinny, was also kicked down by an opponent in the penalty area, but again failed to get a penalty kick. Chinese domestic fans expressed their dissatisfaction with the situation, and the Internet has been criticizing Fu Ming's enforcement level: Chinese referees are on fire around the world, and there are no penalties for all kinds of falls in the penalty area. The Chinese referees should retire from the international arena, it's too embarrassing. The Chinese referees should be retired from the international arena, it is too embarrassing.
