La Liga may charge Barcelona over 'Ronaldo is drunk' chants

Cristiano Ronaldo was the target of chants from Barcelona fans

The Liga de Futbol Profesional (LFP) is set to file a formal complaint over chants by a part of the Camp Nou suggesting Cristiano Ronaldo "is a drunk" during Barcelona's 5-0 win over Levante on Sunday. The case will be passed to the anti-violence committee who will then decide whether or not to go ahead with an investigation.

The decision comes after the LFP decided to review videos of the match posted on social media. The video and audio will be submitted as evidence.

The official LFP complaint, termed as ‘denouncement’ read, “The shouting of chants within the stadium, during the game, in minute 65 from a group of around approximately 200 home supporters located in the lower stand behind the south goal.

“In particular, the group known as Almogavers, located with a banner identifying the group, started to sing the following chant: 'Es un borracho, Cristiano es un borracho,' in reference to the Real Madrid player Cristiano Ronaldo.”

The LFP official website also stated, the chant was not been taken up by the rest of the crowd and their behaviour was “completely correct during the whole game.”

Ronaldo, who reportedly doesn’t drink, has been under heavy fire recently, after celebrating his birthday party hours after Real Madrid’s 4-0 derby loss to Atletico Madrid.

LFP to crackdown on racist elements in all stadia

The action is part of a clampdown on crowd trouble and provocative chants, after a Deportivo fan was killed in a fight before a match at Atletico Madrid’s Vicente Calderon stadium on November 30. The LFP plans to achieve the goal by cutting links of clubs from the radical support groups.

The LFP expressed intentions of using the same yardstick it used for the Bernabeu last year, after derogatory chants toward Lionel Messi by the Real Madrid fans.

LFP president Javier Tebas and government ministers Jose Ignacio Wert and Miguel Cardenal said that insulting chants constitute “symbolic violence” which can lead to physical violence. The official aim is to rid venues of all racist expressions.

The anti-violence commission’s capacity for immediate actions in such situations is unknown. In its most recent meeting, the body agreed to refer to previous related incidents to the Spanish FA, who refused to back the new anti-radical measures.

However, the commission has the power to impose bans and fines on individuals found guilty of offences including assaulting a fellow fan, bringing fireworks into grounds, racially insulting and threatening stadium staff and urinating on stadium stairs.

The LFP statement also mentioned that chants by Sevilla supporters during Saturday's 3-0 win over Sevilla and by Real Betis supporters at Albacete would also be referred to the commission.