Ronaldo: I am being 'persecuted'
Cristiano Ronaldo has described the decision to suspend him for five Real Madrid matches in Spain as "persecution".
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It follows a failed appeal to the league against the ban for the red card he received in the first leg of Madrid's Super Cup tie against Barcelona.
Ronaldo was handed a one-game ban for two yellow cards and a further four match suspension for lightly pushing the referee after he had been sent off.
The bookings were for removing his Real Madrid shirt to celebrate a goal and for diving.
The punishment means that Ronaldo will not be able to play domestically for Spain's champions until 20 September, when Madrid take on Real Betis.
In a message in Portuguese on social media, after his failed appeal, Ronaldo, 32, wrote: "It seems to me exaggerated and ridiculous, this is called persecution."
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