Sergio Ramos came in for criticism during Real Madrid's 4-1 home defeat to Ajax despite not featuring in the game.
Defender Ramos was booked in the 89th minute of Madrid's first-leg victory in Amsterdam on February 13, which meant he would miss the second leg of the last-16 tie, but would enter the next round with a clean disciplinary slate.
Speaking immediately after the match, Ramos was quoted as saying he "would be lying" if he denied deliberately earning the booking.
The defender, however, later used social media to stress it had not been intentional to collect a caution, referring instead to purposefully giving away a free-kick to prevent an Ajax equaliser.
Uefa extended the Spain defender's ban from one to two games, and while Ajax racked up the goals in a shock win at the Bernabeu, his absence was noted.
Just a reminder that Sergio Ramos deliberately picked up a yellow card in the 89th minute of the first leg vs Ajax... Fast forward to the return leg and Ajax are 2-0 up and Real are heading out of the competition! ¯_(ツ)_/¯pic.twitter.com/X6bfp6lKsb — Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 5, 2019
Gary Lineker tweeted: "Real Madrid's chances may have been better had Ramos not received a seemingly deliberate yellow card in the first leg."
Real Madrid's chances may have been better had Ramos not received a seemingly deliberate yellow card in the first leg. — Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) March 5, 2019
Meanwhile, former Norway international Jan Aage Fjortoft wrote: "So Ramos decided to pick up a yellow card in the first game to be available for the quarterfinal.
"So far: IN YOUR FACE".
So Ramos decided to pick up a yellow card in the first game to be available for the quarterfinal. So far: IN YOUR FACE — Jan Aage Fjortoft (@JanAageFjortoft) March 5, 2019
BT Sport presenter Lynsey Hipgrave noted that Ramos had ended up with egg on his face.
Ajax officially back in the big time and Ramos with a great big 🍳 on his face #RealAjax — Lynsey Hipgrave (@lynseyhipgrave1) March 5, 2019
And there appeared to be little sympathy for the 2010 World Cup winner – Ramos has often been associated with the dark arts of the beautiful game.
Real Madrid going out of the Champions League after Sergio Ramos missed the match after getting a deliberate suspension. Beautiful. — Daniel White (@danwhitepr) March 5, 2019
The result saw Madrid knocked out 5-3 on aggregate – having won the competition three years running, this is their first exit from the Champions League since 2015.
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