As far as the authorities in Gelsenkirchen were concerned, every precaution had been taken.
And two imposing security guards stood at the edge of the tunnel that led to the locker rooms.
As Portugal’s players trudged to the dressing room after their defeat to Georgia last week, a fan circumvented the additional layers of security by hurling himself over the top of the tunnel and jumping directly into the path of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Rather than coming face-to-face with his hero, though, the interloper botched his landing and fell down a set of stairs.
Ronaldo’s fame, at this stage, cannot really be overstated.
Persons:
trudged, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rather, Ronaldo
Locations:
Gelsenkirchen, Georgia