Cristiano Ronaldo could be suspended for as many as 12 matches after referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea included the Real Madrid star’s shove in his match report.
After scoring and removing his shirt to earn a yellow card in the Spanish Super Cup first leg against Barcelona, Ronaldo was shown a second yellow card for an alleged dive in the box just minutes later, prompting him to momentarily lose his cool and shove the referee.
Bengoetxea included the altercation in his post-game match report, writing: “Player: Cristiano Ronaldo Dos Santos Aveiro. Once the red card was shown, the player pushed me slightly in a sign of disagreement.”
The shove could trigger a ban of up to 12 matches under Article 96 of the Spanish federation’s rule book, which deals with “Slight violence towards referees”.
Article 96 applies to players who “grab, push or shake” a referee in a manner that is “slightly violent”, and recommends a suspension of 4-12 matches for the action.
