Did Cristiano Ronaldo deserve to be sent off?

Frank Praverman

There is no doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo handled the ball. Equally, there is no doubt that it was intentional. But did it deserve a yellow card which ultimately meant he was sent-off?

The excuses offered up by the Manchester United camp were many and varied: Ronaldo, belatedly, tried to convince Howard Webb that he had heard a whistle; Rio Ferdinand claimed that the forward had been pushed; Sir Alex Ferguson that he was trying only to protect his face. Mark Hughes, the Manchester City manager, countered: “If he thought it was going to hit him in the face, why didn’t he head it?”

If this was a player who does not usually offer an aerial threat, Thierry Henry for example, then these excuses would seem particularly lame: you're not confident in the air and your bottle went.

But this is Ronaldo - one of the most potent headers of a ball in the game. Remember his brave bullet against Roma in the Champions League back in April which almost decapitated him. There was not a thought about his own safety there.

And click on the pictures above - it's not as if he is in any particular danger, whichever angle you look at it from.

So should we believe the player? Or was it a moment of madness?

Did Ronaldo deserve to be sent off? Vote below and let us know your take on the bizarre incident.

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Comments

[Robert Hillery]

He got sent off for TWO bookable offences, so we have to look at the seprate incidents. The first booking was the harsh one! I thought he made clean contact with the ball, it was a poor call by the ref, hence Ronaldo's sarcastic clap! The second one was a yellow card offense so Webb was right to send him off. Ronaldo must have heard something for him to handle the ball like that. He would not have let a goalscoring chance like that go to waste considering he is one of the best at heading in the league. Thats what made the sending off serial really.

[Nick]

Did he deserve a second yellow? No. 6/10 people here need to read the FIFA rules of the game before commenting.

A player who handles the ball can be cautioned if he has deliberatly stopped an opponent regaining posession or when handling to try and direct the ball goalwards.

The referee had an agenda to send Ronaldo off after the clapping, which is quite frankly unacceptable given that his role is to enforce the rules of the game.

[Alex]

Ronaldo should have been sent off when he clapped in the Referees face after the first booking. Wayne Rooney was sent off (correctly) for doing this in the Champions League a few years ago. Its discent and along the same lines of Ashley Coles, and Mascherano's misdimenours last season.

[Euan F]

Did he deliberatly handball it?? YES. There is no rule saying its a yellow card unless the player 'thinks' he hears a whistle. You cant have common sense refereeing you need to standardise it and you cant change the rules for Ronaldo.

[Greg]

On the TV you could clearly hear a rogue whistle (not quite as load as the real whistle) I assume coming from the crowd (just after some kind of horn was blown). Everyone I was watching the game with could hear it - why is it that no-one else could - are the TV presenters selectively deaf?

[GM]

Ronaldo is a disgrace. Since scoring in the Champions League final it's become obvious that he no longer wants to be a Manchester United player and if that is the case then he should be sold as quickly as possible.

Aside from the sending off, and the applauding of the ref, for which he could easily have been booked, Ronaldo did not look interested, aside from a few moments of show-boating which had all but disappeared from his game over the last 2 seasons.

Even his goal celebrations this season have been muted in comparison with last year. Great player but if he wants to go, take Madrid for as much cash as possible and with that cash get a few players who might have less ability than Ronaldo but will give their all.

[Neutral]

I'm not a follower of MU, but the pictures show one of the best headers of the ball in the game rising way above the defence, making a completely undisguised goal-keeper's parry. There is no explanation that makes any sense to me, other than his own; that he thought he heard the whistle and was simply stopping the ball in the easiest way for play to restart. There was no advantage to be gained by it, no-one was put at risk of injury. I would award the foul but accept it was an innocent mistake and leave it at that. It's probably worth banning any spectator caught with a whistle, too. There are plenty of other ways to make a noise.

Would we even be debating this issue if it was Darren Fletcher, Stephen Ireland or any other less glamourous players being sent off?
The letter of the law would apply to any other player and the first yellow was a trip from behind. And for the second it does not matter what the player saw or heard or whether his reaction was out of character.
I believe Christiano is a one off and probably the best player we will see in this generation and I also believe he cheats no more or less than most attacking players with his skill and talent.
Having said that Man Utd fans and management have got to stop this mindset that any tackle on Ronaldo is an act of brutality as this is what colours opposition fans opinions of him.

[Kris]

Did he deserve to get sent off? Probably not. He's great in the air and was in a perfect position to head the ball, so he had nothing to gain by using his hands. Did the referee have any choice? No. So he did have to go.

I remember Cantona once being booked because he suddenly stopped dribbling, put his hand on the ball, then kicked it straight on again as if he was taking a quick free-kick. He thought he heard a whistle, but the ref had no option but to book him. To his credit, Cantona just laughed and took hte booking in good grace (admittedly, he hadn't been sent off yet...). My memory may deceive me, but he may have gone to kick a Crystal Palace supporter later in the same game...

[David L]

Any biased Man U fans who don't think this sort of handball should count, should ask themselves if this would have been a penalty had a City player protected their good looks in such a way? Now do you think it was a "proper" handball? Thought so?

[Jan, Norway]

Obviously, Ronaldo had money on the match ending 0 - 1, or he did it on purpose to spite SAF for not letting him go to Madrid during the summer.

[sisyphusLite]

If a defender had used the same defence as Ronaldo, what would have been the response? A corner was in full operation, and a player interrupted it by using his hands, for whatever reason. There was no push. The only conclusion possible, given the feebleness of the explanation given (note the rigid expression on Sir Alex's face), is that this was a deliberate action, and pre-meditated. Ronaldo needs some time off, to travel, perhaps?

[Ayad Abdul-Ahad]

It is obvious that the comments of some football "Experts" and "Fans", on this issue are rooted in personal feelings (dare I say hate?)towards Ronaldo. What on earth did Ronaldo stand to gain by what he did? Obviously something happened to make a player like him, so keen on scoring goals, to waste the opportunity. Those that keep repeating "its the law", and "the ref had no choice", must wish that robots, not human beings take charge of matches. The simple fact is that the standard of refeeres has been appaling this season. In 2 matches yesterday, the refeeres made "fatal", errors that can change the outcome of this year's Premiership. It is this issue that requires urgent attention, not whether "pretty boy protected his face".

[Tom Chilcott]

Definate booking - HAND TO BALL, no excuse will change that!!

[Josh]

Of course he should have been sent off - for the cynical trip on SWP that earned his first yellow card. He should have been sent off for his reaction to the referee, right there and then.

Later, the ref had no choice but to send him off; it was a blatant attempt to score a 'hand-of-god' goal. The simplest, most plausible answer is that he thought he could get away with it. No-one said he's clever...

[Solomon Teague]

A lot is being said about the first booking. Perhaps it was a little harsh. But would it really have been a talking point in its own right if the second hadnt happened? No. People get soft yellow cards all the time, it is part of the game, and Ronaldo has been getting people booked for very little for years.

I appreciate that people think Ronaldo gets treated harshly at times - he is certainly someone who gets fouled far more than he fair share. But the idea that he is, in fact, NOT a cheat, as Martin implies, is a farce.

(And by the way, most people would agree that Gerrard is a cheat as well - a cheat and a hypocrit. At least Ronaldo doesnt lambast opposition players for diving.)

[Singapore MU fan]

Did he deserve sending off. Yes, but not for the handball, that was an excuse Webb needed. He deserved it for his reaction to the first yellow, should have gone for dissent (even though he shouldn't have been carded to start with). Webb stored that up. Anyway, right result, wrong way of it happening.

I am an MU fan btw.

[Solomon Teague]

Not a simple answer. I voted no, because I dont think he deserved to be sent off for a handball that gave no personal gain, occuring at a time when the ball was there to be headed into the goal. The circumstances suggest his excuses, implausible as they seem, are probably true, because why else wouldnt he have headed it into the goal? He is well capable of it.

Yet as soon as he clapped the referee he forfeited any right to sympathy, and nobody will have been surprised to see him walk. If he had been sent off at that point I would have voted yes in this poll.

[MARTIN BROOKS]

The jealousy and peevishness displayed by so called football fans in this counrty has sunk to new depths. The hysteria whipped up by the media after the last world cup was embraced by the football going public. They wanted to hate Ronaldo anyway. They were jealous of United for having him and even more jealous of him for having it all.
The world cup incident seemed to chasten football supporters. They could no longer tolerate 'Cheats'. What a laugh in a game where everyone cheats and where the supporters are the worst of all. I have yet to here anyone explain why diving is cheating but holding someone's shirt is not, or why certain 'divers' like Gerrard for example, seem to be able to avoid the tag of 'cheat'.
Whilst the rulers of our great game are very much to blame, unable to properly pen a clear set of rules for what is baisically a very simple game, referees are in my view increasingly to blame for a lot of controversy. Anyone with an ounce of common sense could see that for what ever the reason ronaldo handled the ball, it was certainly not to gain advantage. It appears to me too many referees are looking to gain noteriety rather than courting anonimity. Ronaldo should'nt have received a first booking, let alone the even more ridiculous second but I suppose it does'nt matter beacause he is a 'cheat' and got what he desreved. Pathetic.

[Teresa]

Ronaldo is not a coward to say he was protecting his face is silly. Yes it was a booking as he handled the ball, but the first yellow was not a booking, and he did not seek to gain any advantage by handling the ball

[bryan mcgrath]

I suspect Ronaldo did hear something and didn't want to take a chance on his "pretty boy" looks being damaged. He was in a scoring position and he likes to keep his goal tally rolling along (no consecutive player of the year awards unless he gets close to last year's 42).

Mark Hughes, of course, never out jumped a defence in his career!

[sisyphusLite]

Check Ronaldo's travel arrangements over the suspension period, and all questions will be answered.