Alonso, Ramos could still be charged

UEFA says it may yet charge
Real Madrid's Xabi Alonso and
Sergio Ramos with deliberately
picking up yellow cards during
Wednesday's 3-0 Champions
League quarter-final first leg
victory against Galatasaray.
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Alonso and Ramos were both
booked for dissent late in the
game, which means they can
serve bans in next Tuesday's
second leg in Istanbul, leaving
them free from the threat of
suspension for Madrid's
presumed Champions League
semi-final and possible final. It
has been alleged that the players
deliberately sought yellow cards,
although Ramos and Blancos
boss Jose Mourinho both denied
this after the game.
A UEFA source told AS on
Thursday that its Control and
Disciplinary Body would study
the report of referee Svein Oddvar
Moen before deciding whether or
not to act.
"We still have not made any
decision," the source said. "The
committee is waiting for the
referee's report. But even if
nothing is mentioned, there is
still a possibility that the control
body can act by themselves."
Englishman Barry Bright, who
was UEFA's delegate at the
Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on
Wednesday evening, could also
play a role in determining
whether charges are brought.
Alonso and Ramos picked up
similarly convenient late
bookings during a 2010-11
Champions League group game
at Ajax. A UEFA inquiry then
found they had attempted to
'play the system'. It handed out
extra one-game bans and fines
to both players, and to Mourinho,
for what was a more blatant
abuse of the rules.
The regulations around such
actions were tightened in June
2011, and the current UEFA
statute calls for "suspension for
two competition matches or for a
specified period for clearly
receiving a yellow or red card on
purpose". Proving intent may be
more difficult on this occasion,
but the committee regularly
makes similar judgements, for
example in relation to intentional
handballs and diving.
UEFA is also considering
sanctioning Madrid for allowing
Galatasaray fans in the
Bernabeu's away section to light
a significant number of flares
during the first half of the game.
A fine is expected, although AS
reported that the authorities may
be lenient with the La Liga club
as Spanish law prohibits security
staff from carrying out body
searches on fans entering the
stadium.