NYON: Cristiano Ronaldo should learn next Thursday if he is banned from playing at former club Manchester United in the Champions League.

UEFA said its disciplinary panel will judge the case of Ronaldo’s first Champions League red card on September 27.

Ronaldo tangled with Valencia defender Jeison Murillo, appearing to tug at the defender’s hair, in the first half of Juventus’ 2-0 win on Wednesday and the sight of the competition’s record goalscorer and five-times winner walking off with tears in his eyes will be the abiding memory of his first European night in Juve colours.

It looked a harsh decision as German referee Felix Brych reached for his red card after Ronaldo’s seemingly innocuous tangle with Murillo in the area as Juve launched an attack down the left at the Estadio Mestalla.

Ronaldo, signed from Real Madrid for 100 million euros ($117 million) in July, had never been sent off in his previous 153 appearances in Europe’s blue riband tournament and even Valencia coach Marcelino appeared to sympathise with the Portuguese great as he walked off in a state of shock.

The UEFA panel studies all red-card cases and has the power to extend the mandatory one-game ban. Ronaldo will miss a home game against Young Boys on October 2.

The subsequent game for Juventus is on October 23 at Old Trafford, where Ronaldo played for six years. He won the first of his five Champions League titles while with United in 2008.

Ronaldo should escape an increase on his one-match ban but he might not get off so easily in the race for the Ballon d’Or.

Ronaldo is among the frontrunners for the prestigious prize, which considers performances during the calendar year, as well as “overall behaviour on and off the pitch”.

Journalists in charge of voting for the Ballon d’Or might also take note of Ronaldo’s reaction, which saw him fall to the ground in disbelief and then yell into the air in frustration.

It was a bad night in an otherwise stellar 2018 for the Portugese, who won the Champions League with Real Madrid in May and has scored 36 goals in 33 games this year. He has won the Ballon d’Or five times, the joint most with Lionel Messi.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2018