During Portugal’s 3-0 victory over Turkey in Euro 2024, Cristiano Ronaldo faced multiple on-field confrontations from fans seeking selfies, raising serious concerns over player safety and stadium security.
Source : CNN
The first incident occurred in the 69th minute when a young fan managed to evade stewards and reach Ronaldo, who reluctantly posed for a selfie. As the game progressed, two more fans attempted similar actions, and following the final whistle, another individual approached the 39-year-old star for a photograph. Security intervened as two additional people tried to confront Ronaldo while he walked off the field with his teammates.
Source:- BBC news
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez expressed his alarm post-match. “It is a concern because today we were lucky that the intentions of the fans were good,” Martinez said. “We all love a fan that recognizes the big stars and the big icons in their minds. But you can understand it was a very, very difficult moment — if those intentions are wrong, the players are exposed and we need to be careful with that. I don’t think that should happen on a football pitch.”
Martinez emphasized the importance of communicating to fans that such behavior is unacceptable. “It’s not the right way, you’re not going to get anything out of it. And what you do is probably the measures get worse for the future. It’s not good to get the players so exposed when you have people running on the pitch.”
Ronaldo’s teammate, Bernardo Silva, who also scored against Turkey, shared a different perspective, stating, “It’s just a bit annoying in terms of having to stop the game because a fan enters the pitch. That’s the price you pay for being so recognized in the world of football. In terms of feeling in danger, no. Not me personally.”
These breaches underscored vulnerabilities in stadium security and the necessity for stricter measures to protect players during matches. The Euro 2024 organizers and stadium authorities are expected to review and enhance security protocols to prevent such incidents in future games.
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