All eyes were on Cristiano Ronaldo as he represented Juventus in the Champions League for the very first time following his summer move from Real Madrid.
But the Portugal international’s night was nothing short of a disaster after he was shown a straight red card in just the 29th minute of the match. It wasn’t clear what had happened at first as Ronaldo apparently clashed with Jeison Murillo off the ball and away from the eyes of the referee.
Replays showed there was a slight coming together between the two players, but Ronaldo didn’t appear to lash out at his rival with his hand or head.
He did however appear to pull the hair of Murillo, which was spotted by the linesman. The official gestured to the referee to end Ronaldo’s night early, and the Portugal international was forced to leave the pitch in tears.
Before heading off down the tunnel Ronaldo had a quick chat with the man in the middle and attempted to fight his corner to change his mind.
Speaking to the match official, the Portuguese could be seen saying: “I did not do anything,” but his protests fell on deaf ears.
Eventually Ronaldo was forced to smile in disbelief before heading off the pitch. He then made his way down the tunnel, but not before stopping to lean on it for a moment, and went for an early bath.
It was Ronaldo’s first red card in 154 Champions League games and means he may miss a return to Old Trafford when Juventus play his former club Manchester United next month.
Given the seemingly soft nature of the offence, Juventus could also appeal against the decision. Speaking about Ronaldo in the BT Sport studio, his former team-mate at Manchester United Rio Ferdinand said: “Cristiano Ronaldo can be temperamental.
“You know what he’s like when he’s in the dressing room, he could bite at things sometimes.” Paul Scholes added: “There is a bit of snap in there.”
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