Erik ten Hag claims Cristiano Ronaldo ‘will not accept’ FA charge following incident vs Everton

Erik ten Hag has said Cristiano Ronaldo ‘will not accept’ the FA’s charge of improper conduct in relation to an incident that happened at Goodison Park last April.

Video footage of the Manchester United star appeared to show him slap a phone out of an Everton fan’s hand following a 1-0 loss at the end of the last season. Ronaldo was cautioned by the police in August, while last month the FA confirmed they had charged the 37-year-old.

In a statement the governing body stated: “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 FC on Saturday 9 April 2022. It is alleged that the forward’s conduct after the final whistle was improper and/or violent.”

Speaking in Wednesday’s press conference, Ten Hag said Ronaldo planned to fight the charge. “We talked about that, he will not accept it,” the United boss explained.

Ronaldo apologised at the time and invited the Everton fan to attend a game at Old Trafford. “I would like to apologize 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,” he wrote on social media in April.

“It’s never easy to deal with emotions in difficult moments such as the one we are facing. Nevertheless, we always have to be respectful, patient and set the example for all the youngsters who love the beautiful game,” he added.

United have previously shown their support for Ronaldo regarding this incident. When Ronaldo was charged by the FA in September, the club said: “We note the FA announcement in relation to Cristiano Ronaldo. We will be supporting the player in response to the charge.”