Real Madrid football star Cristiano Ronaldo has appealed to a court not to jail a fan who ran on to a pitch to embrace him after he scored a goal during an International Champions Cup match between his club and Chelsea in Miami in August.
According to Sky News, Ronaldo, one of the world's highest-paid athletes handled the incident calmly, even chatting with the 19-year-old fan, and telling security officials to take it easy on him before he was taken away.
Gjoka ended up spending the rest of the day and night in cells and has now been charged with disorderly conduct and trespassing, the report said.
The Portuguese striker is asking prosecutors to drop charges against the Canadian student who could face immigration problems if the charges are not dismissed, the report added.
Ronaldo wrote in a hand-signed letter sent to the prosecutor that he understands their position and importance of enforcing rules and laws, but respectfully requests the office to reconsider the decision and dismiss the two criminal charges the young man faces.
The player said that he and the fan hugged, spoke for a while, until security arrived to escort him off the field, adding that he was not aggressive or violent in any way.
Gjoka, who attends Palm Beach State Community College, is a long-time Ronaldo fan and was wearing a Ronaldo shirt when he ran on to the field after his 28-year-old idol scored the second of two goals, the report further said.