Cristiano Ronaldo will miss the second leg of tonight's Spanish Super Cup as he begins a five-match ban for pushing the referee in Sunday's first leg at the Camp Nou.
Ronaldo had a spectacular 24-minute cameo in the first leg: he was booked for ripping off his top in celebration of a stunning goal before picking up a second yellow for diving in the Barca penalty area. In angst, Ronaldo pushed the referee in the back, for which he has since been given a five-game ban.
Ronaldo has appealed the five-game ban, to no avail. It could, in truth, have been far worse for the Portuguese: the punishment for pushing the referee was a ban of up to 12 matches.
But in spite of that, Ronaldo has been deeply unimpressed with the fact that the authorities had the temerity to enforce the rules in relation to the push.
Ahead of tonight's second leg, he has thrown an almighty strop, saying that the lenient ban is symbolic of "persecution".
He posted his annoyance to Instagram:
Poor Cristiano.
The incident reminds this writer of his favourite bit of hyperbolic Ronaldo sympathy, which came via his sister after the Euro 2016 final. Ronaldo won his first international title looking on from the sideline, having been forced off the field through injury.
Here's the entirely level-headed response from Katia Aveiro:
God is great and I knew that just as our saviour Jesus Christ sacrificed himself the cross for a better world, Cristiano shed tears for the pain of not being able to fight with his companions to the end for his beloved homeland.
Again here is the proof that you you are special, you defy the laws of humanity, thou art my brother.
Your father never abandoned you in your greatest time of pain and suffering .... I know who comforted you at this time, it was our father, he wanted as much as you this cup to go to our country.
