Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed himself another hat-trick in his latest outing for Juventus, but Cagliari president Tommaso Giulini claims the Portuguese should have been sent off beforehand.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner delivered the perfect response to his critics on Sunday as he found the target on three occasions inside the opening 32 minutes in a 3-1 win for the Bianconeri.
He had, however, caught Cagliari goalkeeper Alessio Cragno with a boot to the chin in the 12th minute when the score was 1-0.
What has been said?
Giulini has told Sky Sport Italia of a challenge that left Cragno sporting a cut to his face, and which only saw a yellow card flashed in Ronaldo’s direction: “We didn’t put in a good first half, as we lacked ferocity, aggression and heart.
“I hope to see a completely different attitude when we play Spezia next week. We didn’t even get a single yellow card and I think that reflects how timid our performance was.
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“I am truly disappointed by the way my players approached this, but I am above all upset that Ronaldo was not sent off, as that incident could’ve changed the game. It was dangerous play, it put the safety of our goalkeeper at risk and therefore ought to be punished with a red card. This is what the rulebook states.”
What did Ronaldo have to say afterwards?
Avoiding a red card was the last thing on the 36-year-old’s mind when he took to social media on Sunday evening.
Having faced criticism following a disappointing Champions League last-16 exit for Juve, Ronaldo was more concerned with pointing out to his detractors that he is far from being finished.
He said: “I can’t wait for the next games and challenges! The next records and trophies! Believe me, this story is still far from being over. The future is tomorrow and there’s still a lot to win for Juventus and Portugal!”
The bigger picture
Ronaldo has seen his future in Turin called into question as he approaches the final year of his current contract, but messages of support have emerged from inside the Juve camp.
It remains to be seen whether he will still be in Italy when the 2021-22 campaign starts, but for now he is leading the Serie A scoring charts and has the Bianconeri back in the race to defend the domestic crown they have monopolised over the last nine years.
