Ronaldo writes to Florida attorney on behalf of fan begging to let him off

Cristiano Ronaldo has written a letter to a Florida attorney begging them not to prosecute a fan who ran onto the pitch to hug him during Real Madrid's pre-season match with Chelsea in Miami.

The Portuguese superstar personally intervened to try and spare Ronald Gjoka, a 20-year-old Albanian-born Canadian, a jail sentence by writing that his future should not be ruined by 'an error of judgement'.

Gjoka subsequently spent a 36 hours in a prison cell before legal proceedings were brought against him.

But in a remarkable intervention, Ronaldo wrote to the prosecuting attorney urging them to drop the case.

In the letter he wrote: 'My name is Cristiano Ronaldo and I play for Real Madrid. I was playing in Sun Life Stadium when a fan entered the field.

'His name is Ronaldo Gjoka, a young college student. We hugged, and we spoke for a while, until security arrived to escort him off the field.

'He was not aggressive or violent in ANY way. What's more, he did not put up any resistance when the security guards and police arrived.

'As I understand it, he has admitted his mistake and understands the importance of security. He is a young man of twenty who grew up without a father and was raised by a single mother.

'He attends Palm Beach State Community College, Florida, with an international student grant.'

The letter continues: 'I am concerned because I understand he may face problems with immigration and with his college if the criminal charges against him are not dropped.

'He was immediately taken to the stadium's security area and then spent a day and a half in jail.

'It seems he appeared before a judge on Monday accompanied by his attorney who asked for the charges to be dropped, but you chose to ignore his appeal.

'I understand your position and the importance of enforcing rules and laws. However, I respectfully request that you and your office reconsider this decision and dismiss the two criminal charges this young man faces.

'I would hate to see his face criminal charges for his mistake. By all accounts he has a bright future ahead of him and I'd hate to see this future ruined by an error of judgement.