Cristiano Ronaldo: FA charge Manchester United forward over mobile phone incident at Everton

The FA alleged Ronaldo’s conduct was ‘improper and/or violent’

Cristiano Ronaldo has been charged with “improper and/or violent” conduct by the Football Association following an incident that relates to the Manchester United forward’s behaviour at Everton last season.

Video footage showed Ronaldo appearing to knock a fan’s mobile phone to the ground after United’s 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park on April 9, for which the Portuguese was cautioned by Merseyside Police.

Now the FA has decided to probe the incident and a spokesperson said on Twitter: “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 on Saturday 9 April 2022.

A police statement in August at the time he was cautioned noted the incident was seen as closed after Ronaldo “voluntarily” spoke to the force.

“It is alleged that the forward’s conduct after the final whistle was improper and/or violent.”

“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,” a statement read.

“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.”

In response to the incident, Ronaldo offered the supporter in question a trip to watch Manchester United play and said sorry for his behaviour.

“It’s never easy to deal with emotions in difficult moments such as the one we are facing,” he said on his social media accounts. “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.”

In response to the charge against Ronaldo, who has started just once under Erik Ten Hag in the Premier League this season, United said in a statement: “We will be supporting the player.”

Additional reporting by PA