Merseyside police said Ronaldo voluntarily came to the department to be questioned on charges of assaulting and destroying property of an Everton fan on April 9. “The matter has been resolved in the form of a conditional warning,” the police statement said. “The matter is closed”.

According to Police Cautions , “conditional cautions” in the UK are an alternative to prosecution in minor cases where the police feel it is appropriate. If Ronaldo does not meet the accompanying conditions, he may be prosecuted. Or if you have to go to court on other issues later, the warning will be repeated to aggravate the problem. The 37-year-old striker has no right to appeal because he signed a document admitting his actions. But “conditional warning” is a gentle judgment for Ronaldo in this case.

The incident happened after Man Utd lost 0-1 to Everton in round 32 of the 2021-2022 Premier League on April 9, at Goodison Park. Ronaldo limped into the field tunnel, with a tear in his calf. A young fan leaned forward and held up his phone to take a photo of the Portuguese superstar’s tear as he passed by. Ronaldo immediately hit the boy’s hand so hard that the phone fell to the ground, then walked away without saying a word.

After the match, the boy’s mother took a photo of her son’s bruised hand and then denounced Ronaldo on social networks. The video also went viral with millions of views on Twitter . Merseyside Police announced the start of an investigation into the incident on April 10.

Ronaldo also posted on social networks an apology to the young fan, along with an invitation for the boy to come watch Man Utd’s match. But Ronaldo’s words were considered insincere, as the boy was an Everton fan.

Everton will host Man Utd on October 9, but Ronaldo is unlikely to stay until that day. The 37-year-old striker is looking to leave Old Trafford to join a Champions League club.