Foul play Foul play

Iranian fans troll footballer who injured Ronaldo

France's Dimitri Payet suffers online attacks from zealous fans who cannot forgive Portugal player's incapacitation

By AFP 12 July 2016, 12:13 am
France's forward Dimitri Payet (R) looks on as Portugal's forward Cristiano Ronaldo falls onto the pitch during the Euro 2016 final football match between France and Portugal at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on July 10, 2016. (AFP PHOTO / FRANCK FIFE)

Dimitri Payet was enemy number one in Portugal when he clattered into Cristiano Ronaldo in a hefty challenge that saw the Portuguese talisman eventually stretchered off in tears from the Euro 2016 final.

But the French playmaker also in that instant made sworn enemies much farther away on Sunday — in Iran.

Real Madrid forward Ronaldo is a hero and icon to football-mad Iranian fans and they quickly made their feelings known to Payet, flooding his Instagram account with accusations he had intentionally hobbled Ronaldo, even though the referee did not rule it a foul.

A stream of abusive posts on Instagram came Payet’s way in Persian, with insults that included branding him a “son of a dog.”

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo covers his face as he is stretchered off the pitch after suffering an injury during the Euro 2016 final soccer match between Portugal and France at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, Sunday, July 10, 2016. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)


But not everyone agreed with the abuse, with at least one poster asking for forgiveness from “all Iranians.”

Portugal, Ronaldo and his Iranian fan club had the last laugh, however, as the Portuguese went on to beat Payet and his France side 1-0.

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