Red card fallout, ex referee claims he was sidelined after Ronaldo decision

A decision that followed him

A former Spanish top-flight referee has reopened debate about refereeing pressure in elite football by recounting an incident from early in Cristiano Ronaldo’s career at Real Madrid.

Xavier Estrada Fernandez, who officiated in La Liga in the late 2000s, has described how sending Ronaldo off in a 2009 match was followed by a long and noticeable absence from Real Madrid fixtures.

According to Football Tweet, which shared excerpts from Estrada Fernandez’s interview, the referee said he went almost two years without being assigned to officiate Real Madrid matches after the dismissal.

Silence after the final whistle

Estrada Fernandez said the impact of the decision was not immediately clear on the day of the match. Instead, the consequences unfolded gradually as his refereeing appointments changed in the months that followed.

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He recalled that the first sign of trouble came shortly after he returned home from the game, when he received a phone call from the head of Spain’s referees committee at the time, Victoriano Sanchez Arminio.

According to Estrada Fernandez, the conversation focused less on the decision itself and more on its public impact, including concerns about media coverage and the reaction it would provoke nationwide.

A glimpse into refereeing pressure

Looking back, Estrada Fernandez framed the episode as part of a broader issue within professional football, where influence and reputation can weigh heavily on officials.

He suggested that referees often operate under pressures that are rarely discussed publicly, particularly when high profile clubs and players are involved.

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While his comments do not allege formal punishment, they add to long-running discussions in Spain about transparency, power dynamics, and how referees are managed at the highest level of the sport.

Sources: Football Tweet, interview excerpts from Xavier Estrada Fernandez

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