Madrid star pleas for affectionate fans pardon.
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Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has written a letter pleading for the charges against a man who ran onto the pitch to hug him to be dropped, the Miami Herald reports.
The Portuguese ace wrote a letter to the Miami-Dade state attorney’s office on behalf of 19-year-old Ronald Gjorka, an Albanian native and Canadian citizen, who attends Palm Beach State Community College.
Gjoka ran onto the pitch during Madrid’s pre season encounter with Chelsea at the Sun Life Stadium on August 7 and wearing his Ronaldo replica jersey, went over to the man himself to give him a hug and a friendly word in his ear.
The crowd cheered before Gjoka was escorted off by security and Gjoka was arrested, spending a day and a half at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Doral, where fellow inmates stopped hazing Gjoka after seeing him on TV sports highlights. Gjoka’s lawyer, Richard Hujber, sought to reach out to the Portuguese star in order to help him with his case.
To his surprise he responded and sent a letter that read;
“My name is Cristiano Ronaldo, and I play football (soccer) for Real Madrid, I was playing at Sun Life Stadium last month 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. In addition, he did not resist security or police in any possible way …
“I am concerned because I understand he may face potential problems with Immigration and with his college if the criminal charges against him are not dismissed … 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.”
It is signed, “Sincerely, Cristiano Ronaldo.”