Bruno Fernandes has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo acknowledges he made a mistake after being sent off for violent conduct in Portugal's World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland. Ronaldo received his first international red card on his 226th appearance for elbowing Dara O'Shea during the 2-0 defeat in Dublin.
The incident occurred on the hour mark when Ronaldo, frustrated after a sluggish first-half performance, flung an arm at the Ipswich Town defender. Initially shown a yellow card, the referee upgraded it to a red after a VAR review. Ronaldo reacted with disbelief and sarcastically applauded the crowd before leaving the pitch.
Speaking ahead of Portugal's qualifier against Armenia, Fernandes admitted Ronaldo's reaction 'cost him dearly.' 'He knows he made a mistake and unfortunately couldn't help us,' said the Manchester United midfielder, who was serving a one-match ban for the Ireland game. 'It made things a little more difficult, because we were playing with 10 men and didn't have a player who could score a goal at any moment.'
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez had defended Ronaldo after the match, insisting the act was not violent and that VAR images made it look worse. However, Fernandes's comments suggest Ronaldo accepts the error. The red card means Ronaldo will miss Portugal's next match and could be suspended for the first game of the World Cup if they qualify, as straight red cards carry over into tournaments.
Before the match, Ronaldo had jokingly promised to be a 'good boy' in Dublin. Republic of Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson praised his team's performance, noting Ronaldo 'lost his focus a little bit.' Portugal remain top of their qualifying group despite the defeat.
