Cristiano Ronaldo Pitch Invader Prompts UEFA Investigation of Atletico Madrid
UEFA has launched an investigation into Atletico Madrid's organisation failures during Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first-leg draw against neighbours Real Madrid.
One fan was able to escape the stewards' attention and headed to the side of the pitch before grabbing the shirt of Cristiano Ronaldo, reported by Harry West of Goal.com. An image of this moment was tweeted by Goal India:
Marca confirmed UEFA has "opened disciplinary proceedings" due to "insufficient organisation (stairways blocked)" and the "field invasion" moment. The governing body's statement states the Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body will provide its verdict on May 21.
Importantly, UEFA has confirmed "no other disciplinary proceedings have been opened with respect to Tuesday's game," per Marca.
This line undoubtedly links to Real right-back Dani Carvajal's alleged bite on Atletico striker Mario Mandzukic, an incident that grabbed more headlines than the 0-0 draw on Wednesday morning. World Soccer Talk posted a video of the moment in question:
Carvajal denied biting the Croatian striker right after the match, as reported by Dan Ripley of the MailOnline: "I've seen that after the game I have been accused of biting another player, I want to say clearly that I haven't bitten anybody, nor attempted to do so."
Mandzukic also moved to play down the situation, per Nicholas Rigg of AS:
Either way, Sport highlighted that Carvajal could have been dismissed for lashing out moments before the reported bite:
Right now, UEFA will focus on ensuring the safety of players and fans.
Ronaldo is often forced to deal with pitch invaders, and in 2013 he wrote to a Florida lawyer asking for charges to be dropped against one such fan who hugged him in America. This doesn't mean Ronaldo welcomes this breach of personal space, so it's vital he and others are kept safe.
Failure to stop individuals bursting onto the pitch should be taken extremely seriously, as potentially, danger could ensue.
It's highly possible Atletico won't be in the competition by the time the verdict is made, but the side will be disappointed with any potential punishment after one fan decided to act immaturely. This won't overshadow a great result for the club, but it will force greater measures to be taken during the side's next home outing.
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