Cristiano Ronaldo lost his cool on Sunday against Sporting Gijon, kicking out at opponent Nacho Cases.
Real Madrid flew past Sporting Gijon in their second game under Zinedine Zidane. The club were up 5-0 by halftime at the Santiago Bernabeu, and ultimately won 5-1. Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema had a brace, with Gareth Bale also contributing on the day.
The victory was not without controversy though, as Ronaldo was caught kicking out at opponent, Nacho Cases, in the 52nd minute. The Portuguese winger wasn’t even handed a yellow card for the incident, with the referee appearing to miss the incident.
Despite not being carded on Sunday, Ronaldo could still be facing a lengthy ban. He has been found guilty of similar acts of violence in the past and should be punished as such. In the 2014 Supercopa de España, Ronaldo punched Atletico Madrid defender, Diego Godin, in the face, and last January he was handed a two-match ban for kicking a Cordoba player.
Considering Luis Suarez was handed a two-match ban earlier this month for a far less serious incident, one has to suspect Ronaldo will receive at least two games if not more. The South American may have built up a reputation for his controversial past, but Ronaldo has also proven himself to be a repeat offender as well.
Even though Real Madrid remain in third in the La Liga table, the 30-year-old has still had quite the stellar campaign. With 16 goals and seven assists in 20 league matches, losing Ronaldo for any length of time would be a big blow for Zidane’s side. The club will be back in action next Sunday afternoon against Real Betis at 2:30 p.m. ET, but it remains to be seen if Ronaldo will be in the lineup.