Ronaldo Faces 5-Match Ban Following Red Card
REUTERS/Sergio Perez
After having scored a goal and played a key role in Real Madrid’s 3-1 triumph over Barcelona during their first-leg encounter in the Spanish Super Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo now faces a five match suspension.
The ban is a result of him shoving referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea after being shown the red card. The antics building up to the second yellow card are up for debate.
The first card was shown following the world class forward’s celebration after scoring his goal. The act of taking his jersey off and showing it to a packed Camp Nou was similar to what Lionel Messi had done at the Bernabeu last season.
However, the decisive booking came as a result of what the referee thought was an attempted dive in the penalty area by the 32-year-old. Furious at this, the Portuguese player went on to push the official. It is this action that resulted in the added matches to what would have otherwise been a one-match suspension.
The ban was handed over by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) whose disciplinary code mandates that such an action, even ‘slightly violent,’ is to be punished with an added 4-12 match ban.
“Pulling, pushing or shaking, or a general attitude towards the match officials which, even if only slightly violent, without confirming an aggressive attitude on their part will be punished with a suspension of four to 12 games,” says the code’s article 96.
Furthermore, Barcelona’s sole goal of the night, which came through a penalty slotted home by Messi, is under scrutiny as well. The official is believed to have been in error in awarding the spot kick for Suarez’s collapse inside the box. Los Blancos supporters were eager to point this out post-match.
Now, it will be interesting to see how the reigning UEFA Champions League and La Liga champions deal with the loss of their star man. The Spanish giants meet again for the second leg on Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Written by Naveen Kelvin 
A writer trying to craft the poetry within football. Purpose in life is to Make Good Art.
