Peanuts: Ronaldo fined €20K, escapes ban over ‘cojones’ celebration

Cristiano Ronaldo has been fined €20,000 by UEFA but has escaped a ban for his ‘cojones’ celebration after Juventus’ Champions League win over Atletico Madrid.

UEFA announced on Thursday that the Juve star was being fined €20,000 (US$22,700) for “improper conduct,” although he will be free to play in the quarterfinals of the Champions League against Ajax as he has avoided suspension.

The sanction is the same as that handed to Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simone after he made the same gesture during the first leg of the last tie 16 tie against Juve in Spain.

Atletico won that game 2-0, but a Ronaldo hat-trick in the second leg in Turin hauled his team into the last eight.

Ronaldo made the crotch-grabbing gesture to the crowd after that game, having been taunted by Atletico fans during the first leg defeat.

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Simeone said that he had no problem with the Portuguese star’s retaliatory celebration, saying he had merely wanted to show “character.”

Given that Simeone had avoided a toucline ban with his sanction, it was widely expected that Ronaldo would have a similar punishment dished out by UEFA, as it has now proved.