Before Portugal’s World Cup qualifying defeat by the Republic of Ireland, Cristiano Ronaldo said he would “try to be a good boy” to keep Irish fans off his back. In the heat of battle, however, Ronaldo ensured he joined Thierry Henry as one of Irish football’s great pantomime villains.
With Portugal trailing 2-0 to Troy Parrott’s first-half double, Ronaldo clashed with Dara O’Shea in the Irish penalty area on the hour mark. Jostling for position as he awaited a cross, the 40-year-old shunted his elbow into O’Shea’s back, sending the Ipswich defender tumbling to the turf and sparking a strong reaction from the Irish players and fans at Aviva Stadium.
Referee Glenn Nyberg spotted the incident and showed Ronaldo a yellow card, but having been urged to review the incident on the pitch-side monitor by the video assistant referee, the Swedish official came back with a red. Ronaldo, who had endured a frustrating night up to that point, thought better of quietly accepting his punishment and proceeded to sarcastically applaud the Irish fans and exchange words with Republic of Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson before exiting the stage.
He could now potentially miss the start of Portugal’s World Cup campaign if they qualify.
