A court in South Korea ruled on Tuesday that a local organizing company pay compensation to the public for the failure of Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo in a friendly match for his team Juventus in Seoul last summer.
Juventus, the Italian league champion in the last eight seasons, angered the South Korean fans last July because Ronaldo did not participate in a friendly match against the South Korean league stars, which ended in a 3-3 draw at the "World Cup" stadium in the capital, Seoul, before 65,000 spectators.
Ronaldo missed the meeting, although he was the face of the promotional campaign carried out by the "Vista" agency for the match, which made the tickets, which ranged between 30 thousand won ($ 25) and 400 thousand (approximately $ 340), run out in less than Three minutes.
The South Korean Yonhap News Agency reported that two local fans filed a lawsuit against The Vista for false advertising, and the Incheon District Court sentenced the promoter to pay each of 371,000 won, without issuing any judgment or fine against Juventus. Or Ronaldo.
Myungan law firm reported at the time that the match organizers had confirmed that the contract signed with Juventus required Ronaldo to spend at least 45 minutes, prompting fans to rush to buy tickets.
Vista CEO Robin Chang revealed that she complained to Juventus' vice-president, Pavel Nedved, a Czech player during the match, of not having Ronaldo involved, and he replied, "I also hope that Ronaldo will play. But he said he does not want. I'm sorry, I cannot do any Thing".
She stressed that the agency will find "compensation methods" for ticket holders.
And Ronaldo's refusal to participate was met with angry reactions on social media, where one of the fans considered that the Portuguese international "betrayed and underestimated 60,000 spectators", adding "I am no longer a fan of Ronaldo", at a time accused the South Korean League of Juventus of deception, expressing "Disappointment and a sense of fraud."
The association also criticized the Italian club's travel arrangements and its delay of nearly two hours at the airport exit, adding, "It is clear that the South Korean League expresses our indignation and deep disappointment at Juventus's immoral behavior, and we strongly urge Juventus to offer an honest apology and explain why Ronaldo did not participate."
The fans attacked Ronaldo, urging the boycott of the products promoted by the Golden Ball winner five times, while "Naldo-style" became a common term to avoid work.
The matter came to take a political turn, as opposition opposition leader Na Kyung-won was quoted as saying, "There is one thing in common (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Un and Ronaldo. They both look to South Korea lightly."