Cristiano Ronaldo's Few Minutes of Madness May Have Earned Him a Lengthy Ban
Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo could face up to an enormous 12-match ban for his actions after receiving a red card in Los Blancos' 3-1 Super Cup win over Barcelona on Sunday evening.
The Portuguese forward endured a frantic few minutes in the Nou Camp as his side impressed in the latest El Clasico derby. After arriving onto the pitch as a substitute, the 32-year-old handed Madrid a 2-1 lead in the 80th minute with a sublime effort into the top right corner from just inside the box.
Wheeling away in celebration, Ronaldo looked to emulate Lionel Messi's previous El Clasico antics by taking his shirt off and holding it up to the Madrid fans - earning a yellow card as a result.
Only two minutes later, the attacker found himself in the limelight once again after going to ground due to a challenge inside the box from Barca's Samuel Umtiti. A dive, in the eyes of the referee, saw Ronaldo receive his second yellow - along with his marching orders.
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After turning away in disbelief, Ronaldo headed back towards the ref, lightly shoving him in protest - a reaction that could earn him up to 12 matches on the sidelines.
According to The Sun, Article 96 of the Spanish federation’s rule book states that any player who attempts to “grab, push or shake” a referee in a manner that is “slightly violent” could get a ban of four to 12 matches.
The referee's report makes note of Ronaldo's 'push', stating: “Once I showed him the red card, the player (Ronaldo) pushed me lightly showing discomfort.”.
The severity of Ronaldo's suspension will be decided in the days to come, and the entirety of those involved with the Bernabeu outfit will be praying he doesn't receive the worst possible sentence.
