Ronaldo sent off on his Champions League debut for Juventus

Cristiano Ronaldo collapsed to the ground as a referee showed him the red card. The Portuguese footballer shook his head in disbelief, with his head in his hands. His teammates appealed to the ref to no avail. His eyes were swelling with tears as he was trudging off the ground in frustration.

The 33-year-old superstar forward, the UEFA Champions League's all-time leading scorer with 120 goals, saw his worst result at his first Champions League debut with Juventus. Since joining Juventus this season, he was sent off in the 29th minute from the 2018-2019 Champions League Group H opener against Valencia on Thursday.

Ronaldo dashed to Valencia's penalty area for offense. He flicked his left boot at Murillo as they tangled entering the penalty area. Murillo fell to the ground, although it was not a strong clash. The Portuguese forward approached Murillo and gestured for his opponent to get up, then put his hand on the Valencia defender's head and appeared to tug his hair. Referee Felix Brych consulted with his colleague before showing Ronaldo the red card and dismissed him from the ground. According to the Associated Press, it was Ronaldo's first red card in his 154 Champions League games.

Although Juventus defeated Valencia 2-0, Ronaldo could not smile. According to Spanish media reports, Ronaldo burst into anger in his locker room, claiming that he did not do anything wrong. Juventus also protested the red card. Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said that the video assistant referee (VAR) technology could have helped.


Yun-Cheol Jeong trigger@donga.com