Cristiano Ronaldo Faces 12-match Ban For Pushing Referee

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo is set to be banned for four to twelve matches for shoving the referee in Sunday night’s El Clasico.

The match was a proper rollercoaster for Ronaldo. The forward was introduced into the game on 58th minutes. He then stepped up to put Los Blancos ahead with 10 minutes to play. Two minutes later, he was sent off for a second bookable offence after picking up two yellows in quick succession – the first for taking off his shirt to celebrate his goal, and the second for what referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea deemed to be simulation.

But it is his push on the referee that may have gotten him into an imbroglio with the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). In the official match report sent by Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea, the referee included that Ronaldo “pushed me gently in a sign to show his dissent”

If RFEF are to follow the rule books, then Cristiano Ronaldo may have violated Article 96 of the RFEF’s disciplinary code which gives provision for a 4-12 game suspension for aggression of any kind towards match officials “even if only mild”

There’s precedence which doesn’t favour the Real Madrid star. Last season, Las Palmas forward Marko Livaja got a four-game suspension for pushing referee José Munuera in a 1-1 draw against Alavés.

If Cristiano Ronaldo is banned for four games, he’ll miss Real Madrid’s season opener at Estadio Riazor against Deportivo de La Coruña and subsequent matches versus Valencia, Levante and Real Sociedad.