ROME: Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo was fined 20,000 euros (£17,387) by UEFA for a gesture he made while celebrating in their Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid last week, European football’s governing body said on Thursday. Ronaldo escaped a ban and will, therefore, be free to face Ajax Amsterdam in the quarter-finals, with the first leg to be played in the Netherlands on April 10. Ronaldo, who scored a hat-trick as the Italian champions overturned a 2-0 deficit from the first leg to win 3-2 on aggregate against Atletico, gestured towards his groin with two hands. Atletico coach Diego Simeone had celebrated in a similar way after his team’s opening goal in the first leg in the Spanish capital. The Argentine coach was fined the same amount by UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Committee. Published in Daily Times, March 22nd 2019.