Cristiano Ronaldo to dispute FA charge over fan altercation

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Cristiano Ronaldo to dispute FA charge over fan altercation

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo plans to appeal his FA charge following an altercation with a fan back in April.

The Portugal international was caught on video as he slapped a phone out of the hand of a young Everton fan, and after Merseyside police completed their investigation into the incident, Ronaldo was hit with a charge by the FA.

Ronaldo apologised for the incident shortly after but Ten Hag has now confirmed that the striker does not intend to accept the charges sent his way.

"We spoke about that, he will not accept it," Ten Hag said on Wednesday when asked about the charges.

Returning his focus to footballing matters, Ten Hag stressed his determination to help Ronaldo return to his best after he scored his first Premier League goal of the season at the weekend in United's 2-1 win over Everton.

"I want to support him as good as possible," Ten Hag said. "We have certain demands from players, what we expect in certain positions.

"I want to get the best out of him, he's in better shape now and I'm happy with that. At the start, it was the case [a lack of fitness], and that has proven once again that no-one can miss a pre-season."