Ronaldo handed five-match ban for pushing referee
Soccer superstar Ronaldo will pay a heavy price for losing his cool with a referee. Photo: AP
Cristiano Ronaldo has been banned for five matches for pushing the referee after he was shown a red card against Barcelona in Real Madrid’s 3-1 Spanish Super Cup first leg victory on Sunday.
Upset by referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea’s decision to dismiss him, Ronaldo shoved the official, which landed him in further hot water.
Ronaldo will miss Wednesday’s return leg of the Super Cup in Madrid plus the first four matches of the Spanish league season.
Madrid opens the league on Sunday at Deportivo La Coruna. Its next three matches after that are against Valencia, promoted Levante, and at Real Sociedad.
Ronaldo and Madrid have 10 days to appeal the federation’s ruling.
Still regaining peak fitness after an extended summer vacation, Ronaldo began the Super Cup match on the bench, and came on in the 58th minute.
He scored with a long-range strike to put Madrid 2-1 up moments after Lionel Messi had equalised for Barcelona from the penalty spot.
But Ronaldo’s goal celebration – when he took his shirt off and flexed his muscles – earned him a yellow card.
Two minutes later, he charged into the area and collided with Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti. Ronaldo went down hoping for a penalty. Instead, referee De Burgos Bengoetxea showed Ronaldo a second yellow for diving and sent him off.
Little push on the referee there from Ronaldo. pic.twitter.com/ZuEvxejxhN
— Rob Swan (@RobSwan87) August 13, 2017
Ronaldo raised his arms in disbelief before he stepped up to De Burgos and shoved him in the back with his right hand.
The federation ruling said that Ronaldo’s shove violated article 96 of its disciplinary code, which states that “light aggressions” defined as “pulling, pushing and shaking” of a referee are punished by suspensions of 4-12 matches.
The Spanish Football Federation issued Ronaldo with a 3,005 euro ($A4,503) fine and a four match suspension in addition to the automatic one game ban the player was due to serve for his red card.