The Football Association (FA) on Friday charged Manchester United icon, Cristiano Ronaldo, with 'improper and/or violent conduct' after appearing to smash an Everton fan's phone following the Red Devils' loss at Goodison Park in April 2022.
Insisting that Manchester United icon Cristiano Ronaldo 'can't keep getting away' with his 'unacceptable behaviour', the mother of a 14-year-old autistic Everton fan whose phone was broken by the striker at Goodison Park has pleaded with the FA to administer the 'right punishment'. Earlier this week, the Football Association (FA) charged the Portuguese talisman with 'improper and/or violent conduct' when a video showed the 37-year-old swatting a phone out of Jacob Harding's hand.
The young Everton fan's mother, Sarah Kelly, has urged the FA to discipline Ronaldo appropriately. "Let's hope he finally gets the right punishment," she told the Mirror. "He can't keep getting away with it. His behaviour is unacceptable," Harding's mother added.
Ronaldo's shocking behaviour took place in April 2022 after Manchester United suffered a 1-0 loss to Everton at Goodison Park. The Portugal talisman walked off the pitch disgruntled and appeared to have vented his frustration by smashing Jacob's phone, which also left the young supporter's left hand bruised. Kelly said she was astounded by the 37-year-old's behaviour and questioned how he could sleep at night 'knowing the distress he has caused to a young fan'.
"I'm being hounded by people saying I'm dragging it up again but I didn't know anything about it. He (Ronaldo) should have been dealt with six months ago. My son talks about what happened to him every day. He still hasn't had his phone back," Kelly remarked.
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Kelly added that Merseyside Police paid for the repair of the phone, which is still in their custody. "He (Ronaldo) should have paid for that. He's the one who caused all this. It baffles me – he can assault a child and carry on as normal. How can he sleep at night knowing the distress he has caused to a young fan?"
The FA's statement on Friday read, "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."
Following the April incident, Ronaldo apologised on social media and also invited the young Everton fan Jacob Harding to watch a game at Old Trafford as his guest. "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 apologise 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," wrote the Manchester United legend.
However, Kelly dubbed this apology from Ronaldo as an 'insult'. "He offered us to meet him and said he was sorry but said he had done nothing wrong. That's not an apology. That's an insult," Harding's mother added. The five-time Ballon d'Or will likely face a fine and possibly a suspension if found guilty. Meanwhile, a statement from Manchester United, who will face Manchester City in their Premier League clash on Sunday, read: "We note the FA announcement in relation to Cristiano Ronaldo. We will be supporting the player in his response to the charge."
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