Prosecutors drop charges against Canadian fan who hugged Ronaldo during match

MIAMI – Prosecutors in South Florida have dropped charges against an excited Canadian fan who got onto the field and hugged Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo during an August match.

The Miami-Dade state attorney’s office announced Monday it would not prosecute 20-year-old Ronald Gjoka, an Albanian-born Canadian citizen, on trespassing charges. During Real Madrid’s 3-1 Guinness International Champions Cup victory over Chelsea, Gjoka hugged Ronaldo for several seconds before police escorted him away.

According to a memo from the state attorney’s office, prosecutors made multiple attempts to contact the owners of Sun Life Stadium, where the match was held, but never received a response. Without a victim to testify, prosecutors say they can’t move forward with the case.

The Miami Dolphins operate Sun Life Stadium. A message left with a team spokesman wasn’t immediately returned.

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