Cristiano Ronaldo travels to Coruña

The Cristiano Ronaldo saga has been running all week in the Spanish press; Should he really have been banned for two matches? Did he really mean to elbow Mtiliga in the face? Was it worse than what Messi did against Sevilla when Marc Valiente bear-hugged him off the ball? First he was banned for two matches, then Real Madrid took the case to the RFEF Court of Appeal. The case was thrown out, and as we all tucked ourselves into bed last night, Cristiano was planning his lonely weekend in Madrid, and writing out a cheque for his astronomical €600 fine.

Yet we woke up this morning to pictures of a Riazor-bound Ronaldo stepping onto the Real Madrid private jet. Did Ronaldo volunteer to cheer his teammates on from the stands? Was Paris Hilton in Galicia for the weekend? No, Real Madrid have taken the case even further and appealed to the Spanish Committee of Sporting Discipline.

In a move of desparate proportions, Real Madrid are using every measure available to get the Portuguese star on the pitch come saturday night. In fairness, they're well within their rights to resort to these legal loopholes, especially with an injury crisis which has robbed them of Garay, Lass, Higuaín, Van der Vaart, Gago and Diarra for the match against Depor. But it gets worse, if what has been reported is to be believed. In a show of utter disrespect towards Malaga and Patrick Mtiliga, Real Madrid have even asked the RFEF to send a doctor to examine the players nose. To see if it really is broken. Unbelievable.

Their reaction to the whole affair is winning them, and Cristiano, few friends, not that they'll mind of course. More damaging will be the damning verdict sent out to the rest of the squad: we havn't got much of a chance without Ronny. It might even be that in lengthening the process, Ronaldo misses out on later fixtures such as those against Valencia and Barca. It would be exactly what they deserve.