This archive report was first published on 31 July 2019.
On July 31, 2019, a Juventus pre-season friendly match against K League All Stars in South Korea ended in disappointment for fans who had paid to see Cristiano Ronaldo play.
The Portuguese superstar was contracted to play 45 minutes, but he stayed on the substitutes' bench throughout the match, leaving fans angry and frustrated.
Some fans, who had paid 70,000 won (£48.50; $59) per ticket, are now seeking compensation for their ticket prices, as well as an additional 1,000 won for the ticket commission fee and 1 million won each for compensation for 'mental anguish'.
According to a lawyer from the Seoul law firm Myungan, the fans are seeking a special case for compensation, citing false advertising by the company that arranged the game.
“Normally in such cases the plaintiffs will be refunded the price of the tickets, but I put this under a special case since the company, through false advertising, took advantage of the football star's fans,” the lawyer told Reuters.
Robin Chang, CEO of The Fasta, the Korean agency that arranged the game, broke down in tears to broadcaster SBS and confirmed that the contract stipulated Ronaldo appear for 45 minutes.
However, Ms Chang said she only found out that Ronaldo would not be making an appearance 10 minutes into the second half.
South Korea's professional football governing body, K League, has also sent a letter of protest to the Italian champions for violating the contract.
