Former Spanish referee Xavier Estrada Fernandez has claimed that a red card issued to Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009 kept him from officiating Real Madrid matches for two years. He accused the then-Head of the referees’ committee, Sánchez Arminio, of initiating the ban by calling him soon after the match.
Speaking on his YouTube channel earlier this year, Fernandez said that referees are controlled by officials off the pitch, calling it the dark side of football. He added that the red card becoming the headlines was not appreciated by Arminio and said (via BarcaTimes):
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“When I sent Cristiano Ronaldo off in 2009, I went almost two years without refereeing Real Madrid matches. After that match when I got home, I received a call from the Head of the referees’ committee, Sánchez Arminio, about literally just 10 minutes after I entered my house.”
“He told me he didn’t like what had happened, that the incident would be on the front page of every national sports newspaper, and he hinted that there would be consequesnces. There is a dark side of football that is unknown, or that people don’t want to know, and there are those who exploit it for other purposes.”
Cristiano Ronaldo was given the marching orders by Fernandez in the league game after he kicked out at Almeria’s José Ortiz following a tackle. It was the Portuguese superstar’s first red card since moving to Real Madrid, where he finished with five more sending-offs before leaving in 2018.
Cristiano Ronaldo got sent off for Portugal for the first time in 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo had 13 red cards in his club career, but had a clean slate when it came to the national team. However, his run of 222 matches without a sending off came to an end in November 2025.
Portugal’s national team captain elbowed Dara O’Shea during the 2-0 loss to Ireland, but Roberto Martinez said it was harsh. He said (via Sportstar):
“I thought it was a bit harsh because he cares about the team. He was almost 60 minutes in the box being grabbed, pulled, pushed, and obviously, he tries to get away from the defender. I think the action looks worse than what it actually is. I don’t think it’s an elbow, I think it’s a full body, but from where the camera is, it looks like an elbow. But we accept it.”
Cristiano Ronaldo saw his red card ban suspended for a year, after an appeal. He will be available for the FIFA World Cup opener, but missed the final qualifier against Armenia.
Edited by Sripad
