UEFA open investigation after Sergio Ramos admits to deliberately picking up UCL yellow card

UEFA have opened a disciplinary investigation into Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos, who allegedly admitted he deliberately got booked during Wednesday's Champions League match versus Ajax to avoid suspension in the later rounds.

Ramos' 600th appearance in the Real Madrid colors was a typically controversial one. The Spanish captain was one of just a handful of players from the Champions League holders to emerge from the Amsterdam Arena with any real credit after Madrid scraped a late win through a Marco Asensio strike but somewhat typically, it wouldn't end without a hint of controversy.

Just two minutes after Asensio's strike had put Madrid in the ascendency in the tie ahead of the second leg on March 5, Ramos felled a rampaging Kasper Dolberg and was awarded a yellow card which rules him out of the return fixture.

However, soon after the incident speculation began to emerge which suggested that Ramos may have intentionally looked to receive the yellow card to collect a one-game suspension which would have removed him from the second game against Ajax. 

Following that, Ramos would have a 'clean slate' if Real Madrid are to advance to the next round of the competition. And, as it turns out, Ramos himself would confirm this speculation shortly after the game.

"Yes, the truth is that, seeing the result… It’s something I had in mind,” Ramos told Spanish television after the game.

"It is not that I am underestimating the opponent but sometimes in football you have to make decisions and that’s what I decided."

Ramos would soon back down from this statement on social media after sensing a potential storm brewing, saying that he did not "force the card."

"In a match there are many tensions. We have to make decisions in seconds,” he wrote on Twitter via translation.

"The best thing about today is the result. The worst, not being able to be with my teammates for the return leg. I want to make clear that that hurts me more than anyone. I did not force the card… and I will support from the stands as a fan with the dream of being in the quarters."

UEFA regulations state that any player found to have deliberately received a yellow card is subject to a two-game suspension. It is understood that a two-game ban would run concurrently to the one-game ban for the initial yellow card, meaning that Ramos would be available for a potential quarter-final second round tie.