The incident happened on Sunday, June 28, during Ronaldo’s vacation in Lisbon, Portugal, where he went to relax before being presented as a Real Madrid player in Spain on Monday, July 6.
He had just gotten out of the house, accompanied by his mother, sisters, and a group of friends, heading to an Elton John concert. Ronaldo’s violent reaction was triggered by the feeling that the man who was sitting with the girl inside of the car was, in fact, a paparazzi photographer, the Daily Mail reported.
Annoyed about the presence of the girl and the man who was with her, Ronaldo lost his temper, leaped out of his new Ferrari 599 GTB and kicked the window of the girl’s car, smashing it into pieces. The girl went to a hospital to treat her injuries, and later reported the attack to the police.
The law enforcement are still investigating the case. If state prosecutors find the 24-year-old footballer guilty, he could be accused of wounding or destroying property. Ronaldo, who recently completed a world-record £80 million transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid, could be ordered to pay a certain compensation sum to his victim, who could also pursue a civil claim.
Ronaldo claims the photographer tried to sell the video of the incident to the company that represents the footballer, but he instructed them not to accept the deal. As a result, a Spanish television network got their hands on it and aired the footage.
What did the most expensive player had to say in his defense? “This persecution caused my mother to be so disturbed and upset that I had to stop my car to try to convince them to leave us in peace,” the Portuguese said. “I regret what I did, but I can't promise that I would not react in the same way again in the same circumstances,” he concluded.
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