THE SFA are braced for a whopping fine from UEFA after a pitch invader made a beeline for Cristiano Ronaldo during Tuesday night’s Hampden Nations League clash with Portugal.
Cameras showed Hawdin Ezzat, 23, running onto the pitch in an attempt to get a selfie with the global superstar.
The English student, who fled to Scotland in 2021 to escape persecution in Iraqi Kurdistan, told the Scottish Sun yesterday that it was a “historic night”.
The Portuguese Football Federation specifically asked Uefa to ramp up security around the pitches at Euro 2024 this summer after six fans invaded the field trying to get a selfie with Ronaldo during their 3-0 win over Turkey in Dortmund.
And now the European governing body are determined to be seen to be cracking down on these kind of pitch incursions – with the SFA will almost certainly be left counting the cost.
SunSport understands that Hampden figures fear that they’re looking at a fine of around £15,000 to £25,000 for the incident.
Uefa regularly hand down fines of this nature in cases where host clubs or nations ‘fail to protect against the intrusion of spectators into the playing area’.
Hawdin told The Scottish Sun: “I had been waiting for that moment my whole life.
“It finally happened, even though it’s not exactly what I wanted.
“For many people, it might not have been a big deal. But for me, it was a historic night.”
It wasn’t such a great night for Ronaldo, who left the Hampden pitch in a strop after being deprived the chance to take one last corner.
He was spotted signing autographs and taking pictures the following day after treating himself to a night at the plush Blythswood Hotel in Glasgow City Centre.
He caught a private jet back to Saudi Arabia ahead of Al-Nassr‘s latest Saudi Pro League clash against Al-Shabab tonight.
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