In the UEFA Euro Qualifiers, the Republic of Ireland took on Portugal. Cristiano Ronaldo was shown a red card after committing an elbowing foul on John O’Shea during the match.
FIFA previously decided to suspend Cristiano Ronaldo’s ban, allowing him to participate in Portugal’s first two World Cup qualifiers.
The governing body took an unusual step by suspending the final two matches of the 40-year-old superstar’s three-match ban – imposed after he received a straight red card for elbowing Irish player Dara O’Shea in a qualifier earlier this month – a decision that has sparked widespread criticism.
Ronaldo himself visited the White House last week as a guest of US President Donald Trump, missing Portugal’s final World Cup qualifier – a 9-1 thrashing of Armenia – and is now effectively free to represent his country.
However, teams drawn against Portugal (in matches that would have coincided with his suspension) may file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in an attempt to overturn the controversial ruling and reinstate the original ban.
An arbitration panel will hold a hearing in Switzerland and issue a verdict.
It remains to be seen if any party is willing to take such action. Other nations, whose players have faced unsuspended bans leading to missed matches, are likely closely monitoring developments.
According to insiders, any appellant must prove they are directly affected by the decision and have a legitimate legal interest to protect.
This effectively serves as a test case, requiring them to demonstrate that their chances of qualifying from the group will be reduced if Ronaldo – who has scored five goals in World Cup qualifying – is allowed to play.
They also need to prove FIFA’s decision was erroneous, a potentially arduous task given the discretionary power in FIFA’s disciplinary proceedings.
The draw ceremony will take place in Washington, D.C. next Friday. England will not face Portugal, but Scotland, as well as the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Wales if they win their play-offs, could be pitted against the Portuguese side.
FIFA’s disciplinary code stipulates that a player who commits an assault – including elbowing, punching, kicking, biting, spitting, or striking an opponent or any person other than a match official – shall be sanctioned with “a suspension of at least three matches or an appropriate period of suspension.”
However, Article 27 of the code allows FIFA’s Judicial Bodies to “suspend the execution of a disciplinary sanction in whole or in part.”
FIFA stated: “Pursuant to Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the suspension for the remaining two matches is deferred for a one-year probation period.
“If Cristiano Ronaldo commits another violation of a similar nature and severity during the deferred period, the suspension specified in the disciplinary sanction shall be automatically revoked, and the remaining two-match suspension must be served immediately in Portugal’s next official matches.
“This does not affect any additional sanctions imposed for the new violation.”
FIFA emphasized that its Disciplinary Committee is “fully independent.”
