C. Ronaldo suspended for five games

Real Madrid’s forward Cristiano Ronaldo has been suspended for five games after being sent off the football pitch in Real Madrid’s 3-1 win against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup first leg on Sunday.



The football icon was initially given a one-match ban for being shown two yellow cards and further attracted four for pushing the referee in the back after he had been sent off.

The bookings at the Nou Camp were for taking off his shirt to celebrate his goal to make it 2-1 and for a dive.

Consequentially, Ronaldo will miss Wednesday’s second leg of Spanish Super Cup and La Liga on the 20 of August. Other games are Valencia (h) – La Liga on August 27, Levante (h) – La Liga on September 9 and Real Sociedad (a) La Liga on September 17.

The 32year old player has only 10 days to appeal the decision against him.

However, the Portugal international will be able to play in the Champions League but will not return to domestic action until 20 September against Real Betis.

Reacting to Ronaldo’s second yellow card shown for diving eight minutes from time when he went down inside the area under pressure from Samuel Umtiti, Madrid boss, Zinedine Zidane after the game said: “Ronaldo’s sending-off annoys me because even if it is not a penalty, the card is harsh,” adding that the club would see what it could do so that he is available on Wednesday.

It would be recalled that this marks Ronaldo’s 10th red card of his career and the two yellow cards on Sunday came within two minutes.

In his post-match report, the referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea wrote: “Once shown the red card, Ronaldo pushed me lightly as a sign of his disapproval.”