When Al-Nassr and FC Goa played in the AFC Champions League Two at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, Goa, a football fan from Kerala was reportedly arrested for hugging Portuguese player Joao Felix and taking a selfie with Cristiano Ronaldo's national and club teammate.
As reported by the Times of India, the fan was arrested for one night after entering a restricted area and endangering two foreign players. The fan approached the Portuguese forward, who consented to snap a selfie, after evading security.
Later, the authorities filed an FIR against the fan and deleted the selfie from his phone, the report added.
"We have registered a case and issued a notice. We filed the FIR but arrest was not needed in this case. We took him into custody after he ran on the field. He was at the police station till the time a case was registered and formalities completed," Tikam Singh Verma, SP South Goa, was quoted as saying by the national daily.
The incident happened while Felix was warming up on the sidelines during the second half. After jumping over a barrier, the fan — who claims to be a supporter of the Portuguese football team — was led away by security guards.
Ravi Puskur, the CEO of FC Goa, addressed the security lapse on X. "Despite an elevated police presence, a fan managed to cross the pitch and enter the ground. This was a clear security failure," Puskur wrote.
FC Goa may face financial penalties as a result of the incident. It is anticipated that the club could be fined USD 10,0000 (about Rs 8.8 lakh) by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
FC Goa has already faced disciplinary action for crowd behavior. The team was previously subject to penalties when fans fired smoke guns in the stadium last month.
Al Nassr won the game 2-1, which was their third win in a row, while FC Goa suffered their third straight defeat in the competition.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
Find the best of Al News in one place, specially curated for you every weekend.
Stay on top of the latest tech trends and biggest startup news.
