Ronaldo could miss up to 12 matches for shove referee

The Portuguese star is facing a lengthy ban after taking his frustration out on the referee in Real Madrid's Clasico win on Sunday

Cristiano Ronaldo could be suspended for as many as 12 matches after referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea included the Real Madrid star's shove in his match report.

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After scoring and removing his shirt to earn a yellow card in the Spanish Super Cup first leg against Barcelona, Ronaldo was shown a second yellow card for an alleged dive in the box just minutes later, prompting him to momentarily lose his cool and shove the referee. 

Bengoetxea included the altercation in his post-game match report, writing: "Player: Cristiano Ronaldo Dos Santos Aveiro. Once the red card was shown, the player pushed me slightly in a sign of disagreement."

Ronaldo sensationally shoves referee

The shove could trigger a ban of up to 12 matches under Article 96 of the Spanish federation's rule book, which deals with "Slight violence towards referees".

Article 96 applies to players who "grab, push or shake" a referee in a manner that is "slightly violent", and recommends a suspension of 4-12 matches for the action. 

Ronaldo's fate is now in the hands of the Spanish federation's competition committee, who will decide how many games the 32-year-old would be forced to sit out in addition to the one-game ban stemming from his red card. 

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If Ronaldo gets a total ban of five or more games, it would apply in all Spanish competitions, including La Liga. A suspension of four or less matches would only apply to the Super Cup.