Four time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has been banned for five games for shoving a referee after being handed a red card.
Ronaldo was sent off in the dying embers of Real Madrid’s 3-1 victory over Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup Sunday, with the winger shoving the referee in protest at what he deemed to be an unfair card.
Ronaldo was a second half substitute in the game and got booked after he took his shirt off to celebrate his goal and Madrid’s second. A few minutes later, he was booked again for diving in the box, although Ronaldo argued he had been clipped on the heels.
The referee did not buy his protests and sent him off, upon which Ronaldo shoved him in the back.
Upon review, Ronaldo has been handed a four game ban for the push, plus an additional one game ban for the game’s red card.