Cristiano Ronaldo looks set to fight a charge of improper conduct from the Football Association following an incident after Manchester United's defeat to Everton in April.
The 37-year-old appeared to knock a mobile phone from the hands of teenager Jake Harding, who was filming players as they left the pitch in the aftermath of the Blues' victory. Ronaldo was interviewed under caution by Merseyside Police in relation to an allegation of assault and criminal damage. The force later confirmed: “The matter has been dealt with by way of conditional caution."
The FA has sought to take action over the incident and, last month, announced the forward faced a charge of improper conduct. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Ronaldo's manager Erik ten Hag said his player "will not accept" the allegation.
Jake attended the Goodison Park fixture with his mum, Sarah Kelly, with the pair sitting in the Park End for what was the then 14-year-old's first match. Jake was filming the Manchester United players leaving the pitch at full-time when Ronaldo is alleged to have swiped a mobile phone out of someone’s hand. Sarah, from Upton, told the ECHO the phone belonged to her son and claimed the Portuguese striker "assaulted" him, bruising his hand, by knocking the object to the floor.
The incident was reported to Merseyside Police, which released a statement in August that said: “We can confirm that a 37-year-old man voluntarily attended and was interviewed under caution in relation to an allegation of assault and criminal damage. The allegation relates to an incident following the Everton v Manchester United football match at Goodison Park on Saturday 9 April. The matter has been dealt with by way of conditional caution. The matter has now concluded.”
A statement released by the FA last month confirmed the organisation was seeking to take its own action against Ronaldo, who apologised after the incident. The FA said: "Cristiano Ronaldo has been charged with a breach of FA Rule E3 for an incident that took place after Manchester United FC's Premier League match against Everton FC on Saturday 9 April 2022. It is alleged that the forward's conduct after the final whistle was improper and/or violent." United issued a response, saying: "We note the FA announcement in relation to Cristiano Ronaldo. We will be supporting the player in his response to the charge."
The case is expected to go to a hearing, which ten Hag was asked about ahead of his side's Europa League tie with Omonia Nicosia on Thursday. According to the Manchester Evening News, he responded: "We will talk about that and he will not accept it."
Ronaldo, who scored his 700th career club goal as Manchester United returned to Goodison Park on Sunday, appeared to post about the incident after the match in April, writing on Instagram : "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."
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