5 times Cristiano Ronaldo lost his temper on the pitch
Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably one of the best players to have graced this beautiful game. During a nearly two-decade-long and illustrious career for club and country, he has scored goals and won trophies galore, while creating numerous records.
To name a few, Ronaldo is the all-time top-scorer in Real Madrid and Champions League history. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner recently became the first Juventus player to score 100 goals in just three seasons at the club.
Despite turning 36 earlier this year, Ronaldo's appetite to score goals and succeed remains undiminished. After winning his first Capocannonieri award last season, Ronaldo was a standout performer at Euro 2020, scoring five goals and registering an assist even as Portugal were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Belgium.
However, over the years, Ronaldo's ultra-competitive streak has seen the player lose his temper on the field. Be it for the referee ruling out a legitimate strike or a teammate getting in the way of Ronaldo's goalbound effort. On that note, here's a look at five such instances in no particular order:
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo headbutts an opponent (2007)
Cristiano Ronaldo has learned to better control his emotions on the field over the years. But that wasn't always the case when he began to make a name for himself as a world-class player during his first few years at Manchester United.
During a Premier League game between Manchester United and Portsmouth in 2007, Ronaldo leapt for a header but ended up headbutting his marker Robert Hughes. The reaction, which was apparently a reaction from Ronaldo after a provocation from Hughes, earned the Portuguese a straight red card, as it happened right in front of the referee.
Hughes would later brush down the incident, saying:
"I don't know whether he meant to or not, but he just connected a little bit harder than just leaning his head on me. It was right in front of the referee, who saw fit to give him a red card. It was on the forehead, on the side, it wasn't enough for a bruising. I thought we were going in for a typical head-to-head without contact, and he came a little bit faster."
After serving his suspension, Ronaldo said:
"I have taken a lot from this punishment. I am mentally prepared now to tolerate anything that my rivals can throw at me. This is a personal promise I have made to the manager. It will never happen again."
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo kicks an opponent (2015)
In a keenly fought La Liga game between Real Madrid and Eibar in 2015, the visitors, looking to find a winner, were reduced to ten men. Their star forward Cristiano Ronaldo saw red for kicking Edimar Fraga for pulling him at the post.
Ronaldo's misactions eventually did not cost his team a win as Gareth Bale scored from the spot after his free-kick was handled by an Eibar player inside the box.
The then three-time Ballon d'Or winner apologized for his reckless actions, putting out a tweet that read:
"I apologise to everyone and especially Edimar for my thoughtless action in today’s game".
During the match, Cristiano Ronaldo was also caught on camera punching another Eibar player, Jose Angel Crespo.