Cristiano Ronaldo has provided a fourth explanation for his bizarre handball during the Manchester derby on Sunday.
The Manchester United player was shown a second yellow card after committing the offence despite protesting afterwards that he had heard a whistle - or, in his own reported words, "a beep" - as Wayne Rooney's corner was sent over.
According to Sir Alex Ferguson, "He was protecting his face, he was shoved and he heard a whistle." That explanation ought to have covered all available bases, but Ronaldo has now added another by claiming that he only handled the ball because he heard Micah Richards shouting.
Ronaldo is quoted as saying by The Sun: "Rooney took the corner, I jumped and that was when I heard a shout from Richards and simultaneously the sound of a whistle. I was convinced that the ref had blown for a foul.
"I stopped trying to head the ball and score a goal. I grabbed the ball so Richards could get help.
"It never entered my mind that the referee would show me another yellow card because, for me, I hadn't done anything wrong. To the contrary, after Richards yelled I thought he was hurt and needed assistance."
Your Comments
zone4yid
"Isn't it funny, there was me thinking football players are cretins. Turns out it's us lot, after all!"
TerminalDecline
"it's a good attempt by the entire man utd staff, but if they're going to quote from the blues brothers, they can at least try to get the quote correct - the quote they're trying to emulate goes:
"I ran out of gas. I, I had a flat tire. I didn't have enough money for cab fare. My tux didn't come back from the cleaners. An old friend came in from out of town. Someone stole my car. There was an earthquake. A terrible flood. Locusts. IT WASN'T MY FAULT, I SWEAR TO GOD.""
Von_Strangeduck
"Should have been sent off for dissent earlier for clapping his hands. But little thicko spared us by getting a red for protecting his make-up. STUPID!!"
JODA
"Where has Richards got his right fist and what is it doing?"
chezsu
"We have all played Sunday league and we all know if you annoy the ref they will find a way of booking or sending you off. As soon as Ronaldo sarcastically applauded the ref for his first deserved booking he was a marked man and too right too."
petermsmith
"That's weird! KeepRightOn! I've been booked a few times for what refs have said to me was deliberate handball! If you're right, I am sorry and also really agrieved as I could have save myself a few quid by getting the rulebook and and quoting him the rules! Can I keep you? :)"
PolishJoe
"Actually petermsmith you do get booked for attempting to gain an advantage. There is no such offence as a "deliberate handball" for the simple reason that if it's not "deliberate" it's not a handball. The punishment for a handball is a free kick. It's only a bookable offence if you did it on order to gain an advantage, either by scoring a goal or preventing your opponent from scoring or getting the ball. "
mashman
"It occurs to me that some people haven't read football365's excellent article on handball where they point out that a yellow card is only shown for handball when it is unsportsman like conduct. Obviously if you punch the ball away on the goal line then you're gonna see red and if you look to gain an advantage by plucking the ball out of the air then you're gonna get a yellow. Was Ronaldo trying to catch the ball in order to gain an advantage? No. Was he trying to protect his face? Maybe but only he knows and although a rather obvious free kick it wasn't exactly unsportsman like.
And I apologise for my previous capitalisation. It was wrong and I will never do it AGAIN."
KeepRightOn
"Petermsmith....check the rules. DELIBERATE handball isn't a bookable offence. Which is the reason Ridgewell didnt get booked for it, same for di Canio.
What you are saying is that every free kick that gets given for handball must be a yellow card as it must be deliberate, because surely otherwise it would be ball to hand and therefore no free kick?
think before you speak mate. No one was suggesting the rules should be changed for SAF and ronaldo. You just dont knwo what you're talking about"
Colly22
"AH SUPERJOHN, CHILL OUT MAN, RONALDO IS THE WORLD PLAYER OF THE FACT!!!!!!!!!!! "
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