“I would do it 100,000 times again” - Pitch invader who ran to Cristiano Ronaldo ‘like a lover’ that led to him spending 12 hours in jail
The Cristiano Ronaldo fan who invaded the pitch during Portugal's UEFA Nations League game against Scotland has made a startling claim. After spending a night in jail for invading the pitch, the fan claimed that he would do it again and again.
Hawdin Ezzat, an English student, jumped onto the field on Tuesday (October 15) during the goalless draw between Portugal and Scotland. The game was played at Hampden Park Stadium in Glasgow.
Ezzat was one of nearly 50,000 fans who had come to watch the match. However, the 23-year-old jumped and raced towards Ronaldo to take a selfie with him in the 80th minute.
Ezzat was stopped by security seconds before he could reach his idol. He was detained by the police and spent 12 hours in jail for trespassing.
After getting out of jail, he told The Scottish Sun that he did not regret his actions.
"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," Ezzat said.
"It [getting arrested] was worth it, but I think I will be banned from Hampden. I still can’t believe it. I would do it 100,000 times again. Hopefully, I will meet him one day," he added.
He recalled what went through his mind during the match, comparing his sprint towards Cristiano Ronaldo to that of 'a lover.'
"During the second half, around 80 minutes, I was like, ‘It’s time to do it.’ I jumped the barrier and was running towards Ronaldo like a lover. That was my dream. But unfortunately, it wasn’t his night," said Ezzat.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal failed to break the resolute Scottish defense in Glasgow, with the match ending in a 0-0 stalemate.
Cristiano Ronaldo fan reveals he was planning the pitch invasion for a long time
The Cristiano Ronaldo superfan, Hawdin Ezzat, elaborated on his plan to achieve his dream of meeting the 39-year-old legend. He said the plan was in the works ever since the draw was made and Scotland were scheduled to host Portugal in the UEFA Nations League.
"After hearing Scotland would be playing Portugal in the Nations League, I knew Cristiano Ronaldo would be coming to Scotland. I planned to go on the pitch. I didn’t even ask myself what would happen if I did," Ezzat revealed in the same interview.
"I wanted to hug him and take a picture with him. But I couldn’t do any of that. My main purpose was to talk to him. As I ran towards him I was saying ‘You’re the best in the world’ in Spanish," he added.
The pitch invader, who plays as a winger for an amateur side, added that he has always been a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo and spent his childhood watching clips of the Portuguese icon in action.
"I have been a fan of his since I was six or seven years old," Ezzat recalled. "Back in the day, we only had a small TV in my dad’s room. We were very poor. I used to watch loads of footage of Ronaldo."
While Ezzat nurses a swollen leg, Cristiano Ronaldo will return to Saudi Arabia to play for his club, as Al-Nassr take on Al-Shabab on Friday (October 18).
