Cristiano Ronaldo has been handed a two-match ban and £50,000 fine from the Football Association for smashing a fan’s phone back in April.
The event happened to a young fan with autism and dyspraxia following Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park last season, for which the forward was initially cautioned by Merseyside Police. The FA have released a statement explaining Ronaldo was charged with “improper and/or violent” conduct, for which he has been served with a two-game suspension along with his hefty fine.
“Cristiano Ronaldo has been suspended for two matches, fined £50,000 and warned as to his future conduct for a breach of FA Rule E3,” the FA’s statement read. “The forward admitted that his conduct after the final whistle of the Premier League game between Manchester United FC and Everton FC on Saturday 9 April 2022 was improper. An independent Regulatory Commission found that his conduct was both improper and violent during a subsequent hearing, and imposed these sanctions.”
Ronaldo’s punishment comes in what has been a turbulent few days for the Portugal international. United announced on Tuesday that they had mutually agreed to terminate the player’s contract for his comments made to Piers Morgan’s TalkTV, with club legend Paul Scholes the latest to come out in criticism of the forward.
The Portugal international will likely try his best to ignore the noise at club level and focus on his side’s World Cup campaign, which kicks off against Ghana on Thursday.
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