Ronaldo was sent off in a game back in 2009
A former Spanish referee has revealed how his decision to send off Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009 nearly cost him his career, exposing what he describes as the “dark side” of football officiating.
Estrada Fernández, who was in charge of Real Madrid’s La Liga clash against Almería, showed Ronaldo two yellow cards during a 4-2 Madrid victory.
The first booking came after the Portuguese forward removed his shirt while celebrating a goal, while the second followed an incident in which Ronaldo kicked out at Almería defender Juanma Ortiz.
The dismissal, though by the letter of the law, caused widespread controversy at the time.
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Speaking years later, Fernández said the consequences of that decision went far beyond the match itself.
He revealed that he went almost two years without officiating a Real Madrid game after the incident, a gap he believes was no coincidence.
According to the former referee, the pressure began almost immediately.
“About 10 minutes after I arrived home, I received a call from the President of the Committee, Sánchez Arminio. During the call, he made it clear that he was not pleased and noted that the news would be on the front page of every national sports newspaper. He hinted that there would be consequences,” he revealed.
The former official described the experience as a warning to referees about the unseen forces within football, suggesting that high-profile decisions involving superstar players can carry serious professional risks.
“There is a dark side to football that is unknown, or that people do not want to know about and there are those who exploit it for other purposes,” he added.
FKA/JE
