Why Frustration on Pitch Could Haunt Cristiano Ronaldo

Sometimes before a crucial match, the drama off the pitch forecasts the explosion on it and for Cristiano Ronaldo, a return to Dublin was meant to be a positive footnote in Portugal's World Cup qualifying campaign. 

That promise, however, evaporated in the 60th minute at the Aviva Stadium as with  Portugal shockingly trailing 2-0 to a Troy Parrott first-half double, Ronaldo's frustration boiled over. In a scenario where he  jostled for position in the Irish penalty area, the 40-year-old superstar clashed with defender Dara O'Shea.

Ronaldo shunted his elbow into O'Shea's back, sending the Ipswich player tumbling to the turf. The incident sparked fury from the Irish players and the home crowd. Referee Glenn Nyberg initially issued a yellow card, but after being advised by the VAR to review the incident on the pitch-side monitor, the Swedish official rescinded the yellow and brandished a straight red card.

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The night turned from frustrating to disastrous for the Portuguese captain. Rather than accepting his punishment quietly, Ronaldo proceeded to sarcastically applaud the Irish fans. He also exchanged heated words with the Republic of Ireland's manager, Heimir Hallgrimsson, before finally exiting the stage, joining Thierry Henry as one of Irish football's great pantomime villains.

The touchline exchange was the culmination of an intriguing spat that began 24 hours earlier. In his pre-match press conference, Ronaldo had accused Hallgrimsson of "mind games." The accusation came after the Icelander urged the referee not to be influenced by the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, claiming that in a previous match Ronaldo was "controlling the referee".

Hallgrimsson, however, seemed to relish the confrontation, suggesting his pre-match comments may have played a role in Ronaldo's eventual meltdown. When asked about their touchline exchange, the Ireland boss offered his perspective.

"He complimented me for putting pressure on the referee," said Hallgrimsson, who noted the handshake that ended their exchange as per BBC.

"It was his action on the pitch that cost him the red card. It had nothing to do with me - unless I got into his head."

Hallgrimsson did not speak to Ronaldo after the game, adding: "No, I think we spoke enough when he came off. There was nothing to speak about. This was just a moment of a little silliness from him, I would say."

Unsurprisingly, Portugal boss Roberto Martinez saw the incident differently. He vigorously defended his captain while taking a direct swipe at Hallgrimsson's pre-match comments and O'Shea's reaction to the foul.

"The red card is just a captain that has never been sent off before in 226 games - I think that just deserves credit - and today, I thought it was a bit harsh because he cares about the team," said Martinez.

"He was 60 minutes or 58 minutes in the box being grabbed, being pulled, being pushed and obviously when he tries to get away from the defender."

Martinez argued the replay was deceptive. "I think the action looks worse than what it actually is, I don't think it's an elbow, I think it's a full body, but from where the camera is, it looks like an elbow. But we accept it."

"The only thing that leaves a bitter taste in my mouth is at the press conference yesterday, your coach was talking about the aspect of the referees being influenced, and then a big centre-half falls on the floor so dramatically at the turn of Cristiano's body."

Despite the managerial disagreement, the consequences for Ronaldo are severe. He is definitely suspended for Portugal's final qualifier against Armenia on Sunday. However, the real fear is a potential three-match ban for violent conduct, as stipulated by Fifa's disciplinary code, chapter two, Article 14(i), which targets actions "including elbowing."

A disciplinary committee will decide his fate. If Portugal qualify automatically and Ronaldo receives the three-match ban, he will miss the first two group games of the World Cup in North America.

 If Portugal fall into the play-offs, he would serve his suspension during those crucial games. What began as a "lovely" return to Dublin has ended in a hugely dramatic controversy that now jeopardizes his potential World Cup swansong.