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CRISTIANO RONALDO

‘Free fan who hugged me’: Ronaldo to US judge

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has written a letter to a Florida attorney asking him to drop the charges against a fan who ran on to the pitch to hug him during a pre-season friendly in the US.

'Free fan who hugged me': Ronaldo to US judge
“All I wanted to do was meet him and thank him for helping me during the hardest times of my life. It won’t happen again,” said 20-year-old Ronald Gjoka. Photo: YouTube

20-year-old Ronald Gjoka interrupted the match between Real Madrid and Chelsea on August 7th when he jumped onto the pitch of the Sun Life Stadium in Miami.

The Albanian-born Canadian ran straight up to his idol and proceeded to hug him.

The Portuguese attacker took kindly to the young man’s affectionate gesture and engaged in a brief conversation with him before security removed him from the pitch.

“I’d like to apologize to the Sun Life stadium owners and to Cristiano Ronaldo himself,” Spanish sports daily Marca reported him saying.

“All I wanted to do was meet him and thank him for helping me during the hardest times of my life. It won’t happen again.”

But Gjoka’s apology wasn’t enough to rid him from trespassing charges which could result in him being deported from the US and having his student visa revoked.

Marca reported on Fridat that as soon as Real Madrid's number one player was informed of the 20-year-old troubles, he decided to write the following letter to the Florida attorney in question:

"My name is Cristiano Ronaldo and I play for Real Madrid. I was playing in Sun Life Stadium when a fan entered the field.

"His name is Ronald Gjoka, a young college student. We hugged, and we spoke for a while, until security arrived to escort him off the field. He was not aggressive or violent in ANY way. What's more, he did not put up any resistance when the security guards and police arrived.

"As I understand it, he has admitted his mistake and understands the importance of security. He is a young man of twenty who grew up without a father and was raised by a single mother. He attends Palm Beach State Community College, Florida, with an international student grant.

"I am concerned because I understand he may face problems with immigration and with his college if the criminal charges against him are not dropped. He was immediately taken to the Stadium's security area and then spent a day and a half in jail.

"It seems he appeared before a judge on Monday accompanied by his attorney who asked for the charges to be dropped, but you chose to ignore his appeal.

"I understand your position and the importance of enforcing rules and laws. However, I respectfully request that you and your office reconsider this decision and dismiss the two criminal charges this young man faces.

"I would hate to see him face criminal charges for his mistake. By all accounts he has a bright future ahead of him and I'd hate to see this future ruined by an error of judgement. Thank you. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me directly at any time."

Sincerely,

Cristiano Ronaldo.

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JUVENTUS

Ronaldo set to begin Italian adventure in intimate alpine friendly

Juventus fans will get their first glimpse of superstar summer signing Cristiano Ronaldo in rarified surroundings on Sunday, when he makes his debut for the Italian champions at the foot of the Alps a week before the start of the new Serie A season.

Ronaldo set to begin Italian adventure in intimate alpine friendly
Juventus fans celebrate Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival in July. Photo: AFP

Ronaldo, who signed for Juventus from European champions Real Madrid in a shock 100 million euro deal exactly a month ago, will wear the Juventus kit for the first time in the club's traditional pre-season friendly

between Juve's first XI and a “B” team in Villar Perosa, a small town 40 kilometres west of Turin.

Set in a valley at the foot of the Italian Alps, Villar Perosa (population: roughly 4,100) is the home of the family estate and summer retreat of the powerful Agnellis, who, apart from a brief period around the Second World War, have run Juventus since 1923 and established the traditional alpine curtain raiser.

Members of the industrial dynasty — founders of Fiat car manufacturers and often called the “Italian Kennedys” — have lived at “The Castle” in Villar Perosa since the 19th century, while deceased former club chairman Gianni Agnelli was town mayor between 1945 and 1980.

Used to imposing arenas such as the Old Trafford and the Bernabeu, current Ballon d'Or holder Ronaldo will take his first steps in black and white stripes at the town's compact ground, named after notoriously brutal Italy centre-back Gaetano Scirea.

There should be more fans at the match than the entire population of Villar Perosa, with the 5,000 tickets available long-since sold out and even more supporters desperate to try and catch a glimpse of their new idol.

Such is the enthusiasm for Ronaldo's debut, special security measures were drafted in the town for the match, including a complete ban on the sale of alcohol from Saturday.

Ronaldo's arrival had sparked rumours that the match would be moved to the Allianz Stadium, but the club decided to stick with the traditional bucolic setting.

That could mean Ronaldo gets even more up close and personal with Juve fans.

Established custom dictates that five minutes after half-time fans invade the pitch, bringing the game to a halt as fans charge after and greet their heroes.

Ronaldo joined the team for training on Wednesday after their return from the International Champions Cup in the United States.

His domestic form last season — despite scoring 26 goals in La Liga — was below the almost superhuman levels that had characterised his time in Spain as Madrid finished third behind local rivals Atletico and a whole 17 points behind champions Barcelona.

Juventus, though, have signed Ronaldo not to cement their domestic dominance, after winning seven straight league titles, but to boost their international profile and bag their first Champions League triumph in over two decades.

In 2017/18, Ronaldo was his usual dominant self in Europe as he smashed 15 goals to top the Champions League scoring charts and fired Real Madrid to continental glory for the third straight year.

Interest in Juve and in Italian football has spiked following Ronaldo's arrival. July visits to the club museum shot up 15 percent compared to last year, and were nearly a third more than in 2016, and the over 29,000 season tickets available to fans have been sold despite a deeply unpopular 30 percent price bump announced before Ronaldo's arrival.

READ ALSO: 'I want to show I'm not like others': Ronaldo gives first official speech after arriving in Turin