Cristiano Ronaldo: South Korea police raid marketing agency office in investigation over Juventus star’s non-appearance
Marketing agents The Fasta have promised to ‘fully cooperate with the police and their investigation’ after Ronaldo failed to appear in a pre-season friendly that he was expected to play 45 minutes in
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.South Korean police raided the office of a marketing agency on Thursday as part of a fraud investigation into Cristiano Ronaldo's non-appearance in a friendly match between Juventus and a K-League selection last month.
The game has become the subject of lawsuits issued by disgruntled fans after Ronaldo remained on the bench for the entire game, despite promoters having said he was contractually obligated to play at least 45 minutes. More than 65,000 tickets costing up to $330 had been sold for the 26 July game, which was organised by marketing agency The Fasta.
The Fasta issued a statement after the raid promising to "fully cooperate with the police in their investigation, so that we can clear any concerns and suspicions."
The agency also said it has "lodged a complaint with Juventus over their breach of contract."
The K-League declined to comment on the police's involvement when asked by The Associated Press.
Earlier this week, police issued a travel ban on an official that had been involved in organising the match, with local media naming the person as The Fasta's chief executive Robin Jang.
Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri said after the match that Ronaldo stayed on the bench because of "muscle fatigue."
But Kang Joon-woo of Seoul-based legal firm Oh Kims Sports, one of a number of companies representing fans, said The Fasta should be held responsible for supporters not getting what they paid for.
"The host secured tickets revenues even though the game was not implemented as advertised," Kang said. "It was the organiser's fault that it did not prepare for the situation. It caused the soccer fans to take all the damages. The Fasta ... should be legally liable."
The affair has damaged the reputation of Juventus in South Korea. The K-League has sent a complaint to the two-time European champions, also accusing them of arriving late at the stadium to delay kick-off by almost an hour and cancelling a pre-game fan signing session.
In a letter from Juventus, seen by The Associated Press, chairman Andrea Agnelli rejected accusations of wrongdoing and disrespect.
The K-League's reply accused Juventus of "shamelessness" and blatant deception and demanded an apology.
AP
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments