Paris: Real Madrid centre-back Sergio Ramos has been handed a two-game suspension by UEFA for deliberately getting himself booked during his team’s Champions League last 16, first leg against Ajax. The Spaniard was booked for a tackle on Kasper Dolberg in Real’s 2-1 victory in Amsterdam on February 13, two minutes after Marco Asensio scored the winning goal.
Three yellow cards over the course of the competition bring a one-match suspension and UEFA said Ramos had been punished “for clearly receiving a yellow card on purpose”, with the aim of being clear for a potential quarter-final tie.
European football’s governing body set a precedent last season when Real full-back Dani Carvajal was suspended for two games after initially earning a booking in the group stage. The 32-year-old Ramos said the day after the match that he did not “force the card”.
But straight after the game, he had appeared to admit that he got himself booked on purpose.
“The truth is that given the result I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t something I had in mind,” Ramos had said.
“It is not to underestimate the opponent but sometimes there is a time to make decisions and I did so.”
Real resume their bid for a fourth consecutive Champions League title in the return leg against Ajax on March 5. Meanwhile, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body also announced fines for both Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain following incidents during their last 16, first leg at Old Trafford on February 12.
The Premier League club were fined 16,000 euros ($18,212) after their supporters blocked stairways and threw objects.
PSG, who won the game 2-0, were given a more hefty fine of 41,000 euros for crowd disturbances, throwing of objects, setting off fireworks, and “acts of damage”. They were also ordered to pay United for repairs to damaged seats. In addition, PSG were fined a further 25,000 euros after being found responsible for the late kick-off in their 4-1 victory at Red Star Belgrade in the group stage, while coach Thomas Tuchel was given a suspended one-game ban.
Red Star were fined 64,000 euros for incidents in the same game involving their supporters, including “illicit chanting”.
However, charges against Chelsea for alleged anti-Semitic chanting during their Europa League game against Vidi in Hungary in December were dropped. — AFP
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