22
View
comments
Cristiano Ronaldo's social life may now be focus of more speculation than the footballing future of Lionel Messi, but make no mistake – Saturday's rush of blood to the head was all about football and had nothing to do with the Real Madrid star's life off the pitch.
The best evidence of that came as he walked off the pitch at Cordoba's Archangel stadium on Saturday brushing the dust from the World Club Champions badge on his Real Madrid shirt.
His supporters will say it was an act of defiance. His critics will say it was one of arrogance but neither will argue it wasn't rooted firmly in football which is all Ronaldo cares about from the moment he steps off the team coach to the moment he gets back on it.
Cristiano Ronaldo lashes out at Cordoba defender Edimar while Real Madrid were chasing a late winner
The Real Madrid superstar's customised CR7 boot clearly makes contact with the defender's leg
Ronaldo appears to claim there is nothing wrong as the defender goes down shamefully clutching his face
Ronaldo is reportedly dating TV presenter Lucia Villalon (right) after his split from Irina Shayk (left)
The split with Russian model Irina Shayk and speculation that Ronaldo is now dating Real Madrid TV presenter Lucia Villalon will have been a million miles from his mind when he hit-out at Jose Crespo.
Elma Aveiro, speaking to Portuguese media Correjo de Manha, talks about the family's hope that he finds a woman who 'loves and respects him' and who also denied the link to Villalon, will not have been what was troubling him as kicked Edimar with eight minutes left of Real Madrid's hard-fought win over Cordoba.
When football's most foc used player loses it, it is only ever about the game. It was the fifth red card of his six-year career in Spain and much like the one 13 months ago against Athletic Bilbao it will have been born out of frustration at perceived lack of refereeing protection and perhaps even more importantly at the ineptitude of Real Madrid's performance against inferior but supremely motivated opposition.
Surprise surprise Ronaldo hates not winning. He was frustrated. He has scored against 27 of the 29 teams he has faced in Spain. Cordoba, along with Real Sociedad are the only one to have resisted him.
Marca match reporter Santiago Segurola called it 'his worst game since signing in 2009' and while that might have been stretching it, the performance was summed up by the degree to which Bebe was overshadowing him on the other side by showing all the pace and flair that made Manchester United gamble on his signing, as well as all the misplaced crossing and shooting that helped ensure he was never a success at Old Trafford.
Bebe overshadowed fellow former Manchester United player winger during the La Liga clash
Manchester Uni ted flop Bebe, pictured with Marcelo, impressed against Real Madrid
Bebe attempts to win back possession from Real Madrid right back Dani Carvajal
Ronaldo and Madrid also felt aggrieved by the match referee who gave a first minute penalty when Bebe's shot hit Sergio Ramos thigh and cannoned up on to his arm making it completely accidental.
Ramos himself should have been given a penalty shortly after when Crespo held him down in the area. The same player could be seen holding Ronaldo at various set-plays and it is he who received the first of Ronaldo's right-handers – the one the referee doesn't spot.
Edimar, who was kicked by Ronaldo for the sending off said after the game, said: 'He had become a bit hot-headed because things were not working out for him.
'Things were not going right for the team and he had become a bit nervous because he wasn't able to do what he normally does. He crossed the line but it's gone and forgotten. I hope he gets just a normal ban and nothing more.'
What is 'normal' will be decided by Spanish football's disciplinary committee who usually sit on Tuesday. The referee's report does not mention him striking Crespo in the face after the kick and neither does it call the incident 'violent conduct' so a two-game ban is most likely.
Ronaldo raises his arm as Cordoba defender Jose Angel Crespo moves closer following his kick at Edimar
The committee could ask Mr Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez to 'elaborate' on his brief summary of the incident and if he chooses to include the slap on Crespo then the ban could run to three games. If that sounds a bit amateur-hour bear in mind a year ago the referee actually changed his report post-match.
First he said he had sent Ronaldo off for striking Carlos Gurpegui then he said it was because he had hit out at Ander Iturraspe. So it is possible the referee could add some misdemeanours to the list which would make for a longer ban.
If Ronaldo is given a three-match ban it will include Real Madrid's trip to the Vicente Calderon in the league to play Atletico Madrid. Real will need their talisman there more than ever.
Could the player's moment of madness actually cost them the title? Ronaldo will be reflecting on that on Sunday morning. But no one at Madrid will be turning the drama into a crisis. Gareth Bale has already said: 'The team has shown it can cope without certain key players, even when we have been without him [Ronaldo].'
Carlo Ancelotti actually congratulated Cordoba for their performance, saying they made Madrid 'suffer'. No one was suffering more than Ronaldo and he reacted, as he has done before - four times before - with some costly petulance.
In a final act of petulance, Ronaldo takes a backhand swipe at Crespo before being shown the red card
Ronaldo can only offer a nonchalant shrug as referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez shows him a red card
Ronaldo appeared to look at the badge on his shirt as he left the field and passed coach Carlo Ancelotti
Ronaldo heads into the dressing room with the game still balanced at 1-1 in the race for the La Liga title
0 comments:
Post a Comment