Final Ronaldo appeal against five-game ban rejected

MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo’s final route of appeal against his five-match ban for pushing a referee after being sent off in the Spanish Super Cup was rejected by Spain’s administrative sports court (TAD) on Tuesday.

“TAD has rejected the appeal presented by Real Madrid against the five-match ban,” a TAD spokesperson confirmed to AFP.

Ronaldo blasted his treatment by the Spanish football federation as “persecution” after he was controversially shown a second yellow card for diving after coming off the bench to score as Real won the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup 3-1.

The Portugal captain was handed a one-match ban for the 10th red card of his career and a further four-game suspension for pushing referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea in protest.

“Impossible to be immune to this situation, 5 games!!” Ronaldo posted to his 108 million followers on Instagram after his first appeal was dismissed by the federation last week.

“It seems to me exaggerated and ridiculous, this is called persecution!”

Ronaldo has already served two games of his suspension as Madrid completed a 5-1 aggregate win over Barcelona in the Super Cup second leg and as Real opened their La Liga campaign with a 3-0 win at Deportivo la Coruna.

Real will also be without their all-time top scorer for La Liga matches at home to Valencia and Levante and away at Real Sociedad.