Cristiano Ronaldo Banned Five Games for Shoving Referee

The Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo was suspended for five matches on Monday by the Spanish soccer federation for shoving a referee who ejected him from a Spanish Super Cup match against Barcelona on Sunday.

The ban means Ronaldo will miss a second match against Barcelona on Wednesday, as well as the first four games of the Spanish league season that opens this weekend, unless it is overturned or reduced on appeal.

The incident that led to Monday’s punishment occurred in the 82nd minute of Sunday first-leg Super Cup match at Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium. Ronaldo, running alongside Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti at the edge of the penalty area, fell into the box after the players collided and appealed to the referee, Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, for a penalty.

But De Burgos Bengoetxea deemed the tumble a dive, and awarded Ronaldo a yellow card for simulation. Since it was Ronaldo’s second yellow of the match, De Burgos Bengoetxea then pulled a red card from his pocket and sent off the forward. As he turned to head upfield, Ronaldo approached De Burgos Bengoetxea from behind and gently shoved him with his right hand. Ronaldo’s ban means he will miss the second leg of the Super Cup, on Wednesday in Madrid, as well as the first four games of the Spanish league season, which for Madrid opens Saturday at Deportivo La Coruña