South Korean court demands compensation for Ronaldo no-show

On Tuesday, a South Korean court ordered a local organiser to compensate fans for Cristiano Ronaldo's no-show during a friendly match held in Seoul last year.

The Juventus star remained on the bench throughout the side's encounter against a K-League all-star team at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in July. The match ended in a 3-3 draw. The stadium was a full house with more than 65,000 attendees eagerly waiting to witness the five-time Ballon d'Or winner in action..

Match promoters The Fasta allegedly ran advertisements that heavily featured Ronaldo as the main attraction of the game. The tickets were priced between $25 (30,000 won) and $338 (400,000 won). All the tickets sold out within three minutes of going live.

Two of the fans present in the stadium had sued The Fasta. They accused the organisation of false advertising. In response, the Incheon District Court ruled that the promoter must pay 371,000 won to each of them. However, no such orders were made against Juventus or Ronaldo.

According to News18, frustrated South Korean fans recently phrased a new online tagline, "acting like Ronaldo." Such a phrase was coined to criticise anyone who seeks only benefits without any intention to fulfill the promised action.

Some of the spectators claimed that they would have been happy even if CR7 played for a mere 10 minutes.

Lawyer Kim Min-ki said, "The Fasta misled and used the fans of Cristiano Ronaldo for their own benefit. To the fans of Ronaldo, this is equivalent to losing the player whom they would have admired and supported their entire lives."

Fans turned angry as Juve didn't show any signs of bringing Ronaldo off the bench. The crowd even started chanting the name of Lionel Messi as a means of protest.

South Korea's professional football governing body, K League, had also sent a protest letter to Juventus for violating their contract. As of now, The Fasta hasn't commented on the lawsuit.

Ronaldo is currently celebrating his 35th birthday. Juventus will take on Verona on Saturday night in a Serie A encounter. They are currently leading the table with 54 points from 22 matches.