Cristiano got a red card for this. Now, he's lost 2 points against Bilbao, and will miss the next match against Villareal and a semi-final match against Atletico in the Copa.

I seriously can't believe how this is a red card. It's a simple yellow for me. There was no "danger" or "harm" that Gurpegi had suffered from having his face shoved away. And yet, he falls like a twig.

@Marcus2011 Well when that happens football will die in terms of the game itself, no excitement or controversy.

@Tuanis

Perhaps you need a re-definition of the cases in which a red card is given.

"A red card will be shown to a player who has committed a serious offence such as violent conduct or an illegal and purposeful obstruction of a goal scoring opportunity for the opposing team"

There you go. Ronaldo had neither committed a serious offence or violent conduct, and he had not purposefully obstructed in a goal-scoring opportunity of the opposition. Do you get it now?

If you are the ref and you see there are two players arguing/shouting each othèr and all of a sudden the 1st player put his arm to the face/head (even though not that hard) of the 2nd player and he falls down like a girl what would be your initial reaction? FOUL

why wouldn't that be violent conduct? He scratched another player's face for no reason, the ball was not even being disputed or anything...

@Tuanis

Violent Conduct - "A player is guilty of violent conduct if he uses excessive force or brutalityagainst an opponent when not challenging for the ball."

Do you need me to spell it out for you? That was not violent conduct in the least. No "excessive force or brutality involved".

@Tuanis

I don't why are you arguing when you can find all this laws right there on the internet . Read FIFA laws and regulations .

@dephased

I really hate to argue and start conflicts with other fans about referee decisions . I like arguing about tactics or players that could have changed the match . Do you think controversial referee decisions make football more interesting and entertaining ?

I like my team to win fair and square , so if they loose then as well I want it to be fairly .

@Dynast : What i didnt like and i think the ref too, is that Ronaldo was asking for an inexistant hand. He stopped playing and complaining while there is nothing to complain. The defender was angry then Ronaldo touched him in the face. Its undefendable.
When you are Ronaldo, and you are followed by millions of kids and you are the best player of the year, dont ask for free penalties and try instead to win the game with your incredible capacities...
Its harsh but i didnt see what the ref saw about Ronaldos behaviour in the whole game.

Cristiano might get a match ban like Torres when he did a similar action to Vertonghen.

@Tiki

He was arguing about how Benzema gets bodychecked in the box. It wasn't a non-existant penalty at all, because it was outside the box. Ronaldo was calling for the free-kick.

Anyways, he shouldn't have done that (which is obvious to everyone). He let his hot head get to him. But there was no way that it was a red card. It's ludicrous what passes for a red card nowadays. And now he'll miss the Copa semi-final against Atletico.

.... He is scratching the player's face for no reason at all! he is not a rookie player to behave that way on the pitch, it is not a brutal foul but he was clearly intending to harm the player.

Its funny cus if it wasnt Ronaldo nobody would be complaining so hard on this, there are lots of other red cards given out every match day more controversial than this one. Get over it, he was acting like a stupid little kid with that reaction. This kind of actions have been penalised with red cards since long time ago.

This is just like saying that because hi scratch him softly he didnt deserved a red card but if he would have scratched him harder then it would have deserved a red?

Ok Dynast, you are right. I thought he complained for a hand ball, that is changing the level of bad behaviour in my eyes since their was maybe something, but the ref gave the advantage and he got the ball, he could concentrate on the action.
Its dificult to be Ronaldo as every rival player wants to provocates him, fans provocation and agressive markings. But now, he is not young , he should pay more atention, he has already 8 red cards in his career comparing to Messi with 0 red card.
Anyway, the ref noted 2 matches ban in his notebook, due to Ronaldos behaviour against 4th ref after he was sent off.
S*it happens, even Zidane, Cantona did some spectacular bad acts, this one is not that disgusting.
It will not change our vision on the player, but its stupid because RM will miss their best player in some key games.

Ok, let me get this straight. Dynastian said:
"Violent Conduct - "A player is guilty of violent conduct if he uses excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball."

Does this mean players can go around bitchslapping one another and not get a red?Bitchslapping isn't excessive force or brutality. Also, this mean the players are allowed to spit on the opponent cos that's neither excessive force or brutality?

Am i the only one that remembers the red card on Chiellini where Ronaldo barely got touched and went on the ground as if he was hit by a sledgehammer?

Now let me restate the title: So this is what a red card loos like nowdays...

@Tiki

Lol, Messi did get a red card once. It was on his Argentina debut. But he was a teenager then, so it's okay.

@Tuanis

He was intending to harm the player, yes, but do you really think that he should get a red card for that? You should redefine your definition of "red card".

Tackles that are soft are overlooked all the time, so why can't a shove on the face be overlooked if its this light? Did you even watch the match? The referee didn't even see this. Ronaldo got sent off for absolutely nothing because the referee was looking at the ball when the incident took place, and the linesman said nothing.

The rules are the rules, and this isn't a red card by the rules. And you're right, we're upset because this is Ronaldo. Because Ronaldo is the best player in the world right now, and he's just been suspended from a semi-final match against one of the best teams in the world, and that's precisely why I'm furious. Because this "red card" has just cost us a trophy opportunity.

I ve found it :) you are right, i never saw it before. Well that was harsh too :D
But im sure he has neverbeen sent off again in any competition. He understood quickly what it costs, and since he always wants to play...

3 match ban ... in my opinion that this is sufficient amount of punishment for Ronaldo , maybe harsh , but what about player who dived ... will he get ban ? I think he should just like any divers should get bans

3 match ban, but he will play tommorow . what a circus .

About diving, I just read that Dries Mertens the Belgian player from Napoli has to pay 2000€ for his last simulation.
It's a good thing, but 2000€ is probably not enough to dissuade players to dive...

revenge for the offside goal vs valencia december 2013, the disallowed onside goal we scored against real 2012, the penalty against elche. etc...

@Knibis

Lol, Knibis. Blaming a player for scoring an offside goal, but not blaming the referee for not noticing the offside.

Love how Iturraspe and Gurpegi completely get away with what they did in this video. If Ronaldo is handed a 1 match ban for violent conduct, and a 2 match ban for disrespecting officials, Iturraspe should be handed a 2 match ban for violent conduct, and Gurpegi a 1 match ban for deliberately trying to get an opponent sent off.

Watch it all here.