'Ronaldo should have been sent-off before his hat-trick'

The Cagliari president is ‘upset’ with Ronaldo and accused the Juventus star of ‘dangerous play’ that ought to have earned him a red card.

Cristiano Ronaldo should have got a red card for putting the safety of Cagliari goalkeeper Alessio Cragno at risk with ‘dangerous play’, says the club’s president Tommaso Giulini.

Ronaldo delivered the perfect response to his critics on Sunday by scoring a first-half treble to help Juventus beat Cagliari 3-1 in Serie A.

But if Giulini had his way, Ronaldo would never have got a hat-trick.

The Portuguese would’ve instead been sent off with a straight red card in the 14th-minute after his boot caught Cragno in the chin while the score was still just 1-0. The goalkeeper had a cut on his face afterward.

To Giulini’s fury, however, the referee gave Ronaldo a yellow card. The star then scored two more goals to complete his hat-trick and earn Cagliari a 15th defeat of the season.

“I am truly disappointed by the way my players approached this,” Giulini told Sky Sport Italia.

“But I am above all upset that Ronaldo was not sent off, as that incident could’ve changed the game. It was dangerous play, it put the safety of our goalkeeper at risk and therefore ought to be punished with a red card.

“This is what the rulebook states.”

Ronaldo is now preparing for Juventus’ next league game against Benevento on Sunday afternoon.