Cristiano Ronaldo has been told that he “overreacted” when his late goal for Portugal was not awarded.
The forward thought he’d won a World Cup qualifier for Portugal in stoppage time when he notched late on.
Serbia had fought back from 2-0 down and left with a point after the officials didn’t deem Ronaldo’s effort to have crossed the line.
Replays showed they had made a horrific error, but Ronaldo’s fury was immediately evident.
He confronted the assistant referee before throwing his armband on the floor and storming off while the game was still going on.
Alessandro Del Piero has called out his actions in Belgrade and insists a man of his stature cannot act like that.
(Image: Getty Images)
“This is an overreaction, He shouldn’t act like this, in that way,” the former Italy star said on ESPN .
“It’s okay to be angry, it’s okay to discuss it with the referee, but to throw the armband and keep going like this is too much for someone who is the team captain and represents an iconic figure like him.
“But I also understand the moment, the importance of the match and also the personal ambition that he puts into everything he does.”
(Image: Twitter)
Referees have since apologised for their howler which denied Portugal and Ronaldo.
“As per FIFA’s policies, all I can say is that I apologised to the national coach, Fernando Santos, and to the Portuguese team for what happened,” the Dutch referee told Portuguese outlet A Bola .
“As a referee team, we always work hard to make good decisions.
“When we are in the news in this manner, it doesn’t make us happy at all.”
Portugal boss Fernando Santos has confirmed that Ronaldo will remain at the nation’s captain despite criticism of his actions.
