Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo on Wednesday complained about the severity of the sanction he received from the Disciplinary Committee of the Spanish Football Federation on Tuesday.
Ronaldo was sent off for the second time this season last Sunday after elbowing Malaga defender Mtiglia in the face in the 70th minute of Real Madrid's 2-0 win.
The incident left Mtiglia with a broken nose and he will be out of action for three weeks, but even so Ronaldo feels the two match ban he was handed by the Disciplinary Committee is harsh.
"I don't like it, logically. I honestly feel that it is excessive," he said in Tuesday's edition of sports paper Diario AS.
"My intention is to always play football. I learned that in the Premier League (England) and that you don't have to pretend to be fouled."
"In England they taught me to never try and fool referees, my aim is never to try and mislead them. All I was trying to do was shake off the marking of the Malaga player. I didn't mean to hit him and I apologize for doing so."
"I am sorry about his nose, but I want to play all of the time and that is why I am angry," added Ronaldo.
Real Madrid will appeal against the decision in the hope that Ronaldo can play this Saturday away to Deportivo la Coruna, but Ronaldo admits where he is able to appear is not in his hands.
"It doesn't depend on me, but I am optimistic in the appeal that the club is presenting and that the Committee lowers the punishment," he concluded. |