Cristiano Ronaldo apologised after he appeared to smash a fan s phone following Manchester United s 1-0 loss at Everton on Saturday.
Anthony Gordon s deflected first-half strike consigned United to a second straight Premier League away defeat for the first time since January 2020.
It was a significant blow to the Red Devils hopes of qualifying for the Champions League, with Tottenham s victory over Aston Villa later in the day leaving Ralf Rangnick s side six points adrift of the top four.
Following the final whistle, a video emerged on social media which claimed to show Ronaldo breaking an Everton supporter s phone by throwing it into the floor.
The five-time Ballon d Or winner subsequently took to Instagram to explain his actions and offer to host the fan at Old Trafford as a sign of fair play and sportsmanship .
It s never easy to deal with emotions in difficult moments such as the one we are facing, Ronaldo wrote.