Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo has escaped a ban for grabbing his crotch in celebration during his side’s 3-0 second-leg victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 but did receive a €20,000 fine.
Ronaldo had been charged by UEFA for the celebration after the third of his three goals on the night, which completed a turnaround for the Bianconeri, who lost the first leg 2-0 in the Spanish capital.
However, he was hit with a €20,000 fine — just as Atletico boss Diego Simeone had following his similar celebration during the first meeting.
After Jose Gimenez had given Atletico the lead at the Wanda Metropolitano, Simeone reacted by grabbing his crotch, later explaining it demonstrated his bold team selection “took balls.”
There had been some suggestions beforehand that Ronaldo’s punishment would be more severe as his celebration was directed at opposition fans, while Simeone’s was aimed at his own side’s supporters.
This decision to hand Ronaldo a fine rather than a one-match ban means he will be available for the first leg of Juve’s quarterfinal clash away to Ajax on April 10.
