"The Spanish FA's Appeals Committee denies Real Madrid's motion to throw out ban"

This was the sub-heading on Real Madrid's official Web site regarding the upholding of Cristiano Ronaldo's suspension, which he received for "deliberately fracturing the nose" of the Malaga player Mtiliga.

This news came as a big surprise to anyone who has watched the video of Cristiano "injuring" Mtiliga. How can anyone be so blind as to not realize that Cristiano's shirt was being tugged by Mtiliga and he just wanted to continue with the attack?

It is clear in the video that Cristiano's first nudge hit Mtiliga on the neck and chest, then Mtiliga lowered his head a bit and the second nudge hit Mtiliga square in the face, fracturing his nose. Cristiano never looked back once in the whole process.

The referee played on the game with Ronaldo in possession after Mtiliga went down, but stopped it immediately after protests from Malaga players, and produced a straight red card in an awkward change of decision.

So what can we make out from the video evidence? Only three things.

First, Cristiano did what every player would and tried to break free of the hold and unintentionally fractured Mtiliga's nose in the process.

Second, Perez Lasa is a poor official who cannot stand by his decision because he was pressured by the players.

And third, the Spanish FA will stand by their referees even when they are wrong.

Now I can go ahead and make it a "preferential treatment to Barcelona" article because Lionel Messi did something very similar (if not worse) a week ago against Sevilla at the Nou Camp and Marc Valiente was yellow carded. But I won't, because the right decision was taken at the Nou Camp as Lionel Messi wasn't the culprit there, and neither is Cristiano Ronaldo.

The two-match ban was decided on Tuesday in the preliminary meeting of the FA. Real Madrid made its appeal on Thursday in front of the Spanish FA's Appeal Committee but had the appeal turned down. Now Real Madrid will present its case before the Spanish Disciplinary Committee for Sports (CEDD).

I just hope that the correct decision is taken by the CEDD and the ban on Cristiano Ronaldo is lifted because he is being wrongly punished here.