Al Hilal striker Nasser Al Shamrani said it was a normal reaction to spit at Western Sydney Wanderers defender Matthew Spiranovic at the end of the AFC Champions League final earlier this month after claiming to be verbally abused by the Australian.
Hosts Australia swept into the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup in some style on Tuesday with a 4-0 hammering of Oman at Stadium Australia that ensured South Korea would go through from Group A with them.
Chile got the victory they needed if they are to have any chance of progressing from a daunting Group B when they held off a strong Australian fightback to emerge 3-1 winners in another open and entertaining World Cup clash on Friday.
Australia stunned the United Arab Emirates with two goals in the first 14 minutes to reach a second successive Asian Cup final, where they will meet South Korea.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Saudi club Al-Hilal have furiously demanded a formal probe into the appointment of the referees for the Asian Champions League final, which they lost 1-0 on aggregate to Australia's Western Sydney Wanderers last weekend.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been named Sweden's footballer of the year for the ninth time and although his eighth victory in a row came as no shock, his acceptance speech showing a more sensitive side surprised many.