BBC issue statement on 'Misstiano Penaldo' controversy after being branded a 'disgrace' for mocking Cristiano Ronaldo at Euro 2024

The BBC had captioned Cristiano Ronaldo's missed penalty as 'Misstiano Penaldo' during the live broadcast of the Euro 2024 round of 16 clash between Portugal and Slovenia. The Al-Nassr star missed a spot-kick in the first half of extra-time which led to him breaking down in tears. The player, however, made amends for his earlier mistake by converting the first spot-kick in the tie-breaker which contributed to the Selecao's eventual triumph in the match.

Ronaldo fans were left furious upon hearing the derogatory remark about their idol as they took to social media to express their outrage. Former England defender and Chelsea legend John Terry too expressed his anger at the incident as he called the broadcaster a 'disgrace'.

THE BBC have now finally responded to the criticisms as they released a statement that read: "The caption was simply intended as a play on words, which we have done many times before on Match Of The Day analysis graphics. There was no offence intended toward Cristiano Ronaldo. In fact, throughout the programme we spoke favourably about Ronaldo on a number of occasions, including:

"1. In the pre-match build-up when Jose Fonte highlighted Ronaldo’s dedication to training, saying it’s why ‘he’s one of the best ever.

"2. At half-time Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer did a long analysis run on Ronaldo’s movement, praising it as “absolutely fantastic.

"3. After the penalty shoot-out, Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer both referenced Ronaldo’s courage and self-belief to step forward and take a penalty.

"At no point were the pundits overly critical of Ronaldo and in the context of the programme overall, the tone was consistently respectful towards him. However, we appreciate some viewers were unhappy with the graphic and the feedback has been passed on to the production team to help inform their work going forward."

The 39-year-old will enjoy a well-earned break, now that his Euro 2024 journey has come to an end. He will then return to Saudi Arabia to begin pre-season with Al-Nassr ahead of the 2024/25 season.