Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo is set to be banned for at least four games after he pushed referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea during Real Madrid's Spanish Super Cup tie with FC Barcelona. Madrid won 3-1 on Sunday but the tie was marred by heated exchanges and to cap it all Ronaldo was sent off moments after he had given Real a 2-1 lead with a strike from outside the box. Ronaldo was already on a booking after taking off his shirt while celebrating the goal. Then the referee adjudged him to be diving inside the penalty box. Ronaldo was furious and shoved the referee while marching off the pitch.

The official match report sent to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) from the Camp Nou included Ronaldo's push in the "other incidents" section. "Cristiano Ronaldo Dos Santos Aveiro -- having been shown the red card, the player pushed me slightly in a sign of his disagreement," the Basque official wrote as quoted by espnfc. The RFEF's disciplinary code appears clear that the punishment for such behaviour, even if only "slightly violent," is an extra suspension of four to 12 games.