The Football Association of England charged Cristiano Ronaldo on Friday with “violent or inappropriate” conduct of punching a fan’s hand after a match at Everton last season.
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“It appears that the attacker’s behavior after the final whistle was improper and/or violent,” the Football Association wrote in a statement.
In a worst-case scenario, the Ballon d’Or, 37, could be suspended for five times in one or more Premier League matches.
On 9 April, when the Red Devils lost 1-0 at Everton, a video was widely circulated showing the Portuguese tapping a teenager’s hand as he returned to the locker room, knocking on his phone.
On the same night, the player apologized via his Instagram account. And the police in the Liverpool region, which opened an investigation into an “assault”, in mid-August only sent a simple call to request the player.
Manchester United “took note” of the FA’s decision, adding, “We will support our player in his response to this accusation.”
Ronaldo is currently selected with the Portugal national team, which will face the Czech Republic on Saturday and Spain on Tuesday in the Nations League.
