Cristiano Ronaldo’s Seoul no-show sees Juventus match organiser forced to pay fans back
- Star sat out game against K-League All-Stars despite being advertised he would play at least 45 minutes at Seoul World Cup Stadium
- Court rules in favour of angry fans for ‘emotional distress’ his absence caused with event company to foot the bill
The sports agency who took Italian giants Juventus to Seoul will have to pay South Korean fans after a court ruled in favour of the supporters following Cristiano Ronaldo’s no-show at a preseason friendly last summer.
South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported that the Seoul Central District Court found in favour of the group of 162 fans who had sued event organisers, The Fasta, for the game in July, 2019.
Ronaldo spent the entirety of the match between Juventus and a K-League All-Star team watching from the bench, despite it being advertised that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner would play at least one half.
A full crowd of 65,000 had paid to see Ronaldo and his teammates with many in the Seoul World Cup Stadium expressing their anger from the stands on the day.
The court has ordered the organisers to refund half of the ticket prices – which were between US$27 and US$360 – plus 50,000 won ($44.91) to each of the 162 fans.
This is the second time The Fasta have been forced to pay out for Ronaldo’s no-show, following a 371,000 won (US$332.71) payout to two fans in February after another court decision.
Ronaldo’s refusal to play – citing “muscle fatigue” – cost his club Juventus US$675,000 of their almost US$3 million match fee, according to reports at the time with the K-League accusing the Italians of “deception”.
His absence from the pitch was especially controversial after they arrived late from China delaying kick-off by an hour and missing fan meet and greets.
In contrast to his time in South Korea, Ronaldo played during the team’s previous game against Inter Milan in Nanjing, scoring the equaliser. He tweeted that it was “Always a pleasure to see you China” after leaving.
South Korean fans did not hold back on social media with many telling the club to stay away in the future, and pledging their allegiance to Ronaldo’s long-time Ballon d’Or rival Lionel Messi. Fans in the stadium chanted Messi’s name during the game.
One South Korean fan even tracked down Ronaldo to the Juventus hotel in Stockholm, Sweden, where they were playing another friendly match.
“The defendant has contractual obligations of Ronaldo playing in the game barring any unforeseen circumstances,” the court said, according to Yonhap. His absence had caused the fans “emotional distress”, the report added.
