Avoids Champions League ban for Cojones celebration

Cristiano Ronaldo has avoided a Champions League suspension after UEFA announced his punishment for his celebration in the aftermath of Juventus’ win over Atletico Madrid.

Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in the second leg of Juve’s last-16 clash with the Rojiblancos, and celebrated by mocking Diego Simeone’s own celebration from the first leg when the Atleti boss intended to illustrate the ‘cojones’ his team had shown in their own 2-0 victory.

UEFA opened disciplinary proceedings against Ronaldo on Monday for the gesture, and have decided a €20,000 is punishment enough for the Portugalinternational.

That is in line with Simeone’s own punishment, with the Argentine fined the same amount by the European governing body ahead of the clash in Turin.

Ronaldo, therefore, will be free to face Ajax in the quarter-finals of the competition as he continues his quest to win a fourth straight Champions League title and a sixth overall.