Fans seeking selfies with Ronaldo stop game six times as ‘slapstick’ own goal helps Portugal win

Uefa are set to launch an investigation after Roberto Martinez raised concerns for the safety of Cristiano Ronaldo and other players after six separate pitch invasions by fans wanting selfies with the Portugal forward.

A young fan was the first to evade stewards in the 69th minute of Portugal’s 3-0 win over Turkey at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund, with Ronaldo hope to pose for a selfie before the youngster was escorted away by security amid cheers from fans and giggles from the player’s children sat in the stands.

But the incident sparked three further attempts by fans to get to Ronaldo during the game and two more at full-time as the five-time Ballon d’Or winner became increasingly frustrated by the security lapses.

The second pitch invader, an older fan who invaded the field 15 minutes after the initial incident, appeared to grab Ronaldo by the neck before being peeled off the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star by a steward.

European football’s governing body are now due to probe the major security breach as Martinez hit out at the situation. Uefa’s disciplinary body will await reports from the referee and match delegates before deciding on any action.

Cristiano Ronaldo tries to get away from a pitch invader.Credit: Getty Images

“It is a concern because today we were lucky that the intentions of the fans were good,” the Belgium coach said. “I think we all love a fan that recognises the big stars and the big icons in their minds, we all agree with that.

“But you can understand it was a very, very difficult moment - if those intentions are wrong, the players are exposed and we need to be careful with that.

“I don’t think that should happen on a football pitch. There is a lot of security and a lot of protection and I don’t think that should happen.

“And probably we should give a message to the fans: ‘It’s not the right way, you’re not going to get anything out of it.’

Ronaldo takes a selfie with a young fan.Credit: Getty Images

“And what you do, probably the measures get worse for the future. It’s not good to get the players so exposed when you have people running on the pitch.”

The game also saw an own goal of such pure slapstick that it would have been funny enough in isolation. But the comical preamble served only to heighten the pantomime feeling as Turkey pressed the self-destruct button during seven seconds of madness.

Samet Akaydin is unlikely to forget his eighth senior appearance for Turkey in a hurry, and for all the wrong reasons.

By the time he was substituted in the 75th minute with a suspected shoulder injury, Turkey’s No. 4 must have been wondering what else could go wrong on a day to truly forget.

Akaydin had watched Nuno Mendes’ cross for Bernardo Silva’s opening goal sail through his legs and would also be wrongly booked for a fine tackle on Rafael Leao but there was no doubting his ultimately indignity.

Indeed, the Fenerbahce defender will now have the dubious distinction of bloopers reels being played for years to come reliving that moment when he played a blind pass past his goalkeeper Altay Bayindir into an empty net and, with it, torched any hopes Turkey had of getting back into a game they were trailing 1-0.

A promising attack looked to have broken down when Joao Cancelo and Cristiano Ronaldo got themselves in a tiff.

Cancelo, having played a quick one-two with Bruno Fernandes after showing brilliant awareness to dart ahead of the flat-footed Ferdi Kadioglu to win possession just inside Turkey’s half, played a pass into the space that he thought Ronaldo was about to chase.

Mehmet Zeki Celik and Altay Bayindir of Turkiye attempt to clear the ball from the goal-line.Credit: Getty Images

Ronaldo, though, had checked his run and, furious at Cancelo’s haste, threw a mini-tantrum. You’ve seen this scene before - the one where he jumps in the air, throws his arms down in frustration and, head bowed, turns his back on the play. A bit like his Siuuu celebration but without the smile.

Cancelo, in turn, had his arms outstretched and was remonstrating with Portugal’s deified No. 7 as if to say: ‘Why did you stop your run?’. Unbeknownst to both players, though, something altogether more daft was unfolding in front of them.

Under zero pressure, Akaydin had failed to look up to check Bayindir’s positioning and played a blind pass intended for his goalkeeper, only to belatedly discover to his horror that Andre Onana’s understudy at Manchester United was not where he thought he was all along.

Ronaldo, hissy fit over by this time, suddenly glanced up and could not believe what was unfolding in front of him: the ball trickling towards the goal line as a desperate Bayindir and Turkey’s right back Zeki Celik hurtled back in a forlorn bid to retrieve a desperate situation.

The scene played out almost like it was in slow motion and culminated with Bayindir and Celik crashing into the net together, their attempts to clear coming a fraction too late, as referee Felix Zwayer got the signal the ball had crossed the line and Portugal’s players wheeled away in celebration.

“There was a misunderstanding,” the Turkey coach said, with considerable understatement. “Sometimes it happens and unfortunately today it happened to us. Next time, it may be our opponents.”

Telegraph