BBC Issues Statement Regarding Ronaldo Scandal

The British BBC television channel has issued a statement regarding the scandal surrounding Portugal's national team forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

After the Euro 2024 Round of 16 match against Slovenia (0:0, 3:0), the channel mocked Ronaldo, who missed a penalty kick at the end of the first half of extra time. Instead of the player’s name, the screen displayed the text "Misstiano Penaldo."

“The headline was simply a play on words, something we have done many times before in our Match Of The Day show, and there was no offense intended. We have spoken positively about Ronaldo several times, including when Jose Fonte emphasized Ronaldo’s dedication to training before the match, stating that this is why he is one of the best in history. After the post-match penalty shootout, Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer praised Ronaldo's courage and belief in taking the first kick,” a BBC representative was quoted by the Daily Mail.

It is worth noting that Portugal defeated Slovenia in the Euro 1/8 finals (0:0, penalties 3:0), but lost to France in the quarterfinals, thus ending their campaign (0:0, 3:5).