Neymar Calls for Cristiano Ronaldo to Get Strong Punishment for Cordoba Outburst

Neymar believes Cristiano Ronaldo "must be punished" after receiving a red card during Real Madrid's victory over Cordoba on Saturday.

The Ballon d'Or winner was dismissed for kicking Edimar Fraga, although referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez previously missed Ronaldo appearing to slap Jose Crespo. CR7 stands to receive a two-match ban if the slap isn't cited in the official's match report, but he would face a three-match violent conduct charge if the moment is acknowledged, per Kieran Gill of the MailOnline.

Neymar suggested Ronaldo should receive the maximum punishment and take responsibility for his actions, as reported by Gill:

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Those of us playing as forwards are exposed to provocations and intimidation and sometimes you lose your nerve. It's clear we cannot do that under any circumstances. He must be punished because of the aggression. It is difficult because sometimes there is provocation.

It happened to Zinedine Zidane, it happened to me. Nobody has the coolness to remain calm 100 percent of the time. We must think with our heads. I think he should be punished.

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Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

The Barcelona forward also suggests it is the job of officials to help forwards from becoming so frustrated. "It is the referee's responsibility to protect players on the pitch, particularly when they are targeted by hard challenges," said Neymar, per Gill. "Hard tackles must be punished."

Ronaldo's sending off was posted by Metro Sport:

The player showed himself to be remorseful after his dismissal. "I apologise to everyone and especially to Edimar for my thoughtless act in today's game," he tweeted, as reported by Sky Sports.

He will now miss Los Blancos' home ties with Real Sociedad and Sevilla, two fixtures Carlo Ancelotti's men are still favourites to comfortably win. However, should Ronaldo be charged with violent conduct for the slap, a likely three-match ban would see him also sit out of the team's trip to face neighbours Atletico Madrid.

Diego Simeone's men recently dumped their rivals out of the Copa del Rey and are unbeaten against Real in three encounters this season. Ronaldo is so often the difference in big fixtures and would be a prime candidate for match-winner if he is allowed to step onto the Vicente Calderon pitch.

Silvia Izquierdo/Associated Press

Neymar's comments appear to be those of someone who knows exactly how easy it is to become irritated with overly physical play. He appeared to stamp on an opponent during a mass brawl after the 2011 Copa Libertadores final. Like Ronaldo, the opposition often target him with harsh tackles to try to limit his influence on the game.

Sky Sports' Guillem Balague noted CR7's other four red cards for Madrid, while offering an explanation as to why he became so frustrated:

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The latest red card, however, is a consequence of Ronaldo not scoring freely in the last two months. He has scored eight penalties this season and while that keeps him as top goalscorer, he only had two shots on goal at the weekend against Cordoba and that is the lowest he has had since moving to Madrid.

He intervenes less and touches the ball less. He is a goal machine, as Scott Minto likes to call him, but you don’t see him running at defenders, dropping much deeper or being part of the build as he used to.

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Miguel Morenatti/Associated Press

Ronaldo's goalscoring influence doesn't seem to be diminishing, however. He's raced to 34 goals this season and still averages 6.3 shots on target each match, per WhoScored.com. It's perhaps easy for form to dip slightly after winning the Ballon d'Or—the sheer relief is likely to have an initial effect—but Ronaldo remains Madrid's most important player.

This could be highlighted during his ban, particularly if he's to miss the Atletico tie. Future opposition would be wise to play on his frustration, so we may see other teams target the 29-year-old during the rest of the season.