Cristiano Ronaldo will be available to face former club Manchester United in the Champions League next month after being handed a one-match ban by UEFA.
The governing body have confirmed that 33-year-old Juventus forward will be suspended for just a single game – next month’s clash with Young Boys – after its control, ethics and disciplinary board decided not to increase the automatic penalty after meeting on Thursday.
A UEFA statement said: “The CEDB has decided to suspend the Juventus Football Club player Cristiano Ronaldo for one (1) UEFA competition match for which he would be otherwise eligible.”
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Ronaldo was dismissed by German referee Felix Brych after appearing to pull Valencia defender Jeison Murillo’s hair as he ran past him 29 minutes into his side’s 2-0 victory at the Mestalla Stadium on September 19.
The Portugal skipper left the pitch in tears, clearly astonished at the official’s decision, and Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri later insisted VAR – which is not being used in the Champions League this season – might have led to a different decision.
Had the suspension been increased, Ronaldo would have had to sit out the trip back to Old Trafford – where he spent six hugely successful years – on October 23.