How Cristiano Ronaldo can escape punishment after reports suggest he could be sentenced to ’99 lashes for adultery’

Cristiano Ronaldo could be in a spot of bother after reports claimed that he's now facing a punishment of '99 lashes for adultery' in Iran.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Ronaldo was in Iran last month with his club team Al-Nassr for a game against Persepolis in the Asian Champions League.

During that trip, he met Iranian painter Fatima Hamimi, who is partially paralysed, and received a painting she'd made of him.

Ronaldo reportedly kissed her on the cheek and put his arm around her while they posed for a picture after he gave her a signed shirt as a gift.

According to Iranian law, touching a single woman is equivalent to adultery and the punishment is 99 lashes.

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Mundo Deportivo also reports that a group of Iranian lawyers are determined enough to make a thing out of this and have filed a complaint.

If Ronaldo ends up in line for a punishment, he'd be arrested and lashed 99 times next time he went to Iran, which may be sooner than he thinks depending on how the Asian Champions League plays out.

The footballer is not married, but is in a long-term relationship with Spanish model, Georgina Rodriguez.

However, since he probably doesn't want to receive 99 lashes, there are some ways that Ronaldo can avoid this punishment.

If he shows remorse for his actions and apologises, then a judge could decide he won't face the punishment after all, but there is a much simpler option on the table than Cristiano Ronaldo swallowing his pride and saying sorry.

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As long as he just never, ever goes back to Iran, he's in the clear. If he's not in their country, there's not a damn thing they can do about his punishment.

While that might mean that Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr can't take him with them to any games, which they might have to travel to Iran for, it means Ronaldo remains unlashed and unapologetic.

This isn't the first time that Ronaldo has ended up in trouble since his move to the Middle East.

There were calls to deport the star striker for grabbing his crotch during a 2-0 defeat to Al Hilal, after some fans in the stadium started chanting Lionel Messi's name.

Ronaldo was leaving the pitch when he grabbed his crotch, a gesture which is considered illegal in Saudi Arabia, but he remains un-deported - and it probably doesn't hurt that he's a rich and famous individual.

Saudi Arabian authorities are also turning a blind eye to Ronaldo living with a woman who he is not married to, since the country doesn't want their harsh, draconian laws to make them look bad.