:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45975844/GettyImages-467264818.0.jpg)
The possibility of an impeding sanction first arose when LFP chief Javier Tebas commented that "We have to be careful with provocative gestures by a player when he scores a goal or with any other provocation or conduct that could incite violence among spectators," This comment comes in the light of recent fan violence and this season has been littered with examples of fan violence, the worst coming outside the Vicente Calderón when a Deportivo fan lost his life.
Tebas was keen to ensure players didn't provoke the crowd. He ended his interview by answering the question of whether or not a sanction is coming by saying "we're working on it." But is the celebration really worthy of a sanction? Or was Ronaldo well within his rights to celebrate as he did?
Ronaldo first debuted the celebration in April of 2012, having scored the winning goal at the Camp Nou that effectively gave Madrid the title. He has continued it since and it even made its way into the FIFA video game series.
Back in 2012 it seemed fair, if not a little egotistical, and no one really made a fuss about it. He was on the receiving end of endless barrage of boos and had just scored the winning goal against his biggest rival at their own ground. Factor in that it isn't just any other game, it is the biggest derby on the planet, and you start to have some understanding of it.
Having scored the equaliser on Sunday, Ronaldo again hushed the crowd with his calm down. It came after Ronaldo had been the target of a chant inside the Camp Nou, "Ronaldo is a drunk" declared the Barça fans despite the team playing Levante. Understandably Ronaldo was probably desperate to score and pay back the fans who sung these chants. But Tebas argues that the gesture wasn't appropriate and could cause anger amongst the fans, which in turn could lead to violence. While this is all a possibility, I argue that conceding the goal would spark more anger then the way Ronaldo celebrates it.
Put yourself in Ronaldo's shoes for just a moment and imagine you've just scored an equalising goal against your biggest rivals in their stadium (as an Ipswich fan, the thought of scoring one at Carrow Road has entered my mind on more then one occasion) surely you're entitled to celebrate how you want within reason? After all Ronaldo was not violent towards the fans, he did not run the length of the field to celebrate in their faces and he didn't show them the middle finger as he left the field.
In my opinion, a sanction for Ronaldo would be harsh but I wouldn't be surprised to see the LFP use Ronaldo as a high profile name to set an example for other players.
