Cristiano Ronaldo is ‘SENT HOME’ from Portugal camp after his straight red card against Ireland… as Roberto Martinez’s side gear up for decisive World Cup qualifier without star man
Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly been sent home from Portugal’s national team camp following a disastrous night in Dublin which saw him handed his first-ever international red card.
The veteran forward was given his marching orders for a frustrated elbow on Dara O’Shea after an hour of his side’s shock 2-0 defeat against Ireland on Thursday.
As straight red cards in international football typically carry a two-match ban, it means Ronaldo could miss the first game of his what is sure to be his last-ever World Cup.
However, Roberto Martinez’s men have still not secured their qualification to next summer’s tournament – and need a win against Armenia on Sunday to rubber-stamp it. Should they draw and Hungary beat Ireland by more than three goals, they face needing to qualify through a playoff.
But according to Portugese outlet A Bola, Ronaldo won’t be hanging around to cheer his teammates on for the crunch tie at the Estádio do Dragão because he has been ‘released from the national team’.
The Portugal captain is now expected to return to Saudi Arabia, where he will hope for a better performance from his club side Al-Nassr when they face Al-Khaleej on November 23.
Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly been sent home from the Portugal camp after his red card
The veteran appeared to gesture to Nathan Collins that he was crying just moments before he was sent off
After being given his marching orders, Ronaldo sarcastically applauded the crowd at the Aviva Stadium
Ronaldo had cut a frustrated figure in Ireland after a sluggish first-half performance from Portugal and appeared to suggest that opposition defender Nathan Collins was crying just moments before his sending off.
Yet it was for a violent outburst on Collins’ centre-back partner that the former Manchester United man saw his dismal night at the Aviva come to a premature end.
After a wayward cross evaded him, Ronaldo flung an arm at Ipswich Town’s O’Shea, who went to ground clutching his back in what was initially deemed an offence worthy of a yellow card.
Though after a VAR review, the referee eventually upgraded his caution to a red card – the first of Ronaldo’s glittering international career on his 226th appearance.
It was a decision met with disbelief by Ronaldo, who sarcastically applauded the thousands of raucous supporters crowded into the Irish national stadium before trudging towards the tunnel.
And the Portugal legend’s complaints didn’t stop there. He appeared to direct some of his anger at the Irish dugout, seemingly mouthing ‘well done’ in one video before former Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho held him back.
Suspensions picked up as a consequence of an accumulation of yellow cards do not carry over into tournaments, according to FIFA. But in a hammer blow for the striker, straight red cards do.
Portugal boss Roberto Martinez argued Ronaldo’s outburst was not ‘violent’ post-match in a staunch defence of his captain.
The victory for Ireland keeps their hopes of qualifying for next summer’s World Cup alive
Troy Parrott, who scored both of the goals, described the occasion as the ‘best night of his life’
‘Of course, we spoke,’ the former Everton manager said. ‘I think it’s difficult for a player like Cristiano, who’s in the box. And today he had two defenders constantly in physical contact.
‘There’s no violence. He tries to push the defender away and he was unlucky that the VAR… the angle of the images [makes it look] worse than what happened. It’s Ronaldo’s first red card for the national team, it’s incredible.’
Just hours before kick-off in Dublin, Ronaldo had ironically promised to be a ‘good boy’ on his return to the Irish capital.
‘I really like the fans here,’ he said in a press conference. ‘The support they give to their national team is lovely.
‘For me, it’s a pleasure to play here again, I hope they don’t boo me too much tomorrow – I swear that I’m going to try to be a good boy.’
For Ireland, their 2-0 victory over the European giants represents a huge step in their bid to qualify for the tournament.
A loss would have diminished their hopes of appearing in a World Cup for the first time since 2002, but they now sit just one point behind Hungary ahead of a crunch match between the two nations on Sunday.
Troy Parrott, who scored both goals, described the occasion as the ‘best night of his entire life.’
Ireland now face a huge clash with Hungary on Sunday for a play-off place
‘I have no words to describe it,’ he said. ‘We all know how important this game was for us, particularly after the result tonight. I am overwhelmed.
‘I don’t know what words to use, I am over the moon.’
Parrott’s first of the game came on 16 minutes when he nodded home a header from close range before wheeling away to celebrate with his team-mates.
He made it two before the break with a sweet finish from the edge of the box fired through Ruben Dias’s legs and past Diogo Costa in the Portugal goal.
The visitors tried their utmost to get back in the game with the likes of Joao Felix, Bernardo Silva and Rafael Leao all on the pitch but failed to break down a resurgent Irish backline.
Speaking post-match, the winning manager Heimir Hallgrimsson said: ‘I am just proud of the performance from the guys. It was hard work, discipline, focus and, most of all, good teamwork.’
Giving his reaction to Ronaldo’s sending off, he added: ‘He [Cristiano Ronaldo] lost his focus a little bit and maybe it was the fans as well.
‘He was frustrated and reacted in a way he knows he shouldn’t.’
‘He said that to me walking away [about Hallgrimsson’s comments about the referee before the game], told me it was a clever thing to do and blamed the referee or whoever for this, but it was just his silly decision to attack our player.’
