Carvajal decries Ronaldo's 5-match suspension

Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal on Tuesday said the five-match suspension of his teammate Cristiano Ronaldo was excessive and hoped that the club's appeal would be accepted.

Ronaldo got banned for five matches after he was sent off and pushed a referee in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup against Barcelona, which Real Madrid won 1-3, reports Efe news agency.

"It's excessive. I don't think Cristiano Ronaldo wants to undermine the referee and it's a frustrating situation in which he was unfairly sent off," Carvajal told a press conference on the eve of the second leg.

"Hopefully, they will withdraw the suspension," he added.

Carvajal said that all Real Madrid players were affected by the decision, adding that they did not understand why it happened.

"We're all affected by the suspension; he's a key player for us. We can't know what the referees are thinking. They want to do their best, they are human and they make mistakes. We concentrate on playing," he added.

--IANS

ajb/dg