Former Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo was banned for two matches and fined £50,000 ($80,000) for hitting a phone out of a fan’s hand at Everton after a Premier League game last season.
The ban will be transferred when Ronaldo joins a new club in any country. It does not apply to the World Cup.
The 37-year-old Portugal star, who is now a free agent following his release from Man United on Tuesday, had the altercation after a 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park on April 9, for which Ronaldo received a police caution from Merseyside Police.
England’s Football Association charged him with improper conduct and an independent panel has handed down a suspension and fine.
“An independent regulatory commission found that his conduct was both improper and violent during a subsequent hearing, and imposed these sanctions,” the FA said in a statement on Wednesday.
Ronaldo had accepted the FA charge but requested a personal hearing – held online on Nov. 8 – in a bid to try to avoid a suspension. Ronaldo said he had “legitimate concern … for his own physical safety and well-being.”
But the independent panel said it was an “act born of frustration and annoyance rather than fear or concern for his well-being.”
Meanwhile, Manchester United needs new owners and fresh investment to halt years of decline and fans should be given a real say in how the club is run in future, the Supporters Trust MUST said on Wednesday.
The Premier League club’s U.S. owners are looking at options for the 20-time English champions, including new investment or a potential sale, 17 years after the Glazer family bought the club.
“Our club needs new investment more than ever. That requires new ownership,” MUST, the leading fan group, said in a statement responding to news that some said would feel like winning a title if the owners left.
“Any new ownership structure must embed supporters, including a degree of fan share ownership, in their operating model.”
And in news from the other Manchester team, Pep Guardiola has signed a new contract with Manchester City that will keep him at the Premier League club until 2025. The Spanish manager’s current deal was set to expire at the end of the season, but he has committed to a further two years at the Etihad Stadium.
The Associated Press