- Mar 4, 2024
- Sep 20, 2023
Cristiano Ronaldo has been warned by British police after footage emerged of the Manchester United striker appearing to smash a phone out of an Everton fan’s hand in a match that took place last season. The 37-year-old was interviewed by officers concerning an allegation of assault and criminal damage following the incident at Goodison Park on the 9th of April.
Merseyside Police did an investigation after a clip was shared online where Ronaldo could be seen knocking the supporter’s mobile phone onto the ground as he limped towards the tunnel following United’s 1-0 loss. The force said in a statement on Wednesday:
“We can confirm that a 37-year-old man voluntarily attended and was interviewed under caution concerning an allegation of assault and criminal damage.”
Cristiano Ronaldo has been cautioned by police after knocking a phone from a supporter's hand at Everton in April.
(🎥 @Evertonhub) pic.twitter.com/MY3vVjq5mm
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The allegation relates to an incident following the Everton v Manchester United football match at Goodison Park on Saturday, April 9.
“The matter has been dealt with by way of a conditional caution. The matter has now concluded. After the incident occurred, Ronaldo issued a social media apology for his “outburst” and invited the supporter to watch a game at Old Trafford “as a sign of fair-play and sportsmanship”.
Taking to his Instagram account after the match, the man from Portugal said:
“It’s never easy to deal with emotions in difficult moments such as the one we are facing. “Nevertheless, we always have to be respectful, patient, and set the example for all the youngsters who love the beautiful game. I would like to apologize for my outburst and, if possible, I would like to invite this supporter to watch a game at Old Trafford as a sign of fair play and sportsmanship.”
The news comes right after Ronaldo hit out at the “lies” surrounding reports about his future at struggling United. Portugal forward missed the club’s pre-season tour to Thailand and Australia for personal reasons as speculations swirled over whether he would be leaving Old Trafford.
Reports suggest that Ronaldo wants to play Champions League football, but United says with a firm resolve that he is not for sale and remains a vital part of the plans of the new manager who is Erik ten Hag. The star forward played the full 90 minutes of United’s crushing 4-0 drubbing at Brentford on Saturday, which had them sink to the bottom of the Premier League standings.
In a reply to a fan account on Instagram that referred to a report linking the United forward to Atletico Madrid, Ronaldo said fans would “know the truth” in a couple of weeks, stating that the “The media is telling lies.”