PORTUGAL: Cristiano Ronaldo has been left off the Portugal’s squad for Poland and Scotland matches after an investigation into rape allegations against the 33-year-old was reopened this week.
Portugal faces Poland on October 11 and Scotland three days later, but will be without its most-capped player, who has been accused of raping Kathryn Mayorga in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009. Ronaldo hasn’t played for Portugal since its defeat to Uruguay at the World Cup,
However, on Wednesday Ronaldo released a statement denyied the charges, which alleged that the Juventus star raped Mayorga while she repeatedly screamed no.
“I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me,” Ronaldo wrote on Twitter. “Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in.” Las Vegas police have re-opened the complaint made by Mayorga, who is said to be suffering “psychological” damage from the incident. Meanwhile Portuguese Football Federation president Fernando Gomes has given his “total solidarity” towards Ronaldo as “his good name and reputation are being questioned.” “I believe in the words issue yesterday, not only because I defend the presumption of innocent as a basic principle of a state of law, but also because I have known Ronaldo for many years and I am a witness to his good character,” said Gomes in a statement. Mayorga’s lawsuit accuses Ronaldo of taking advantage of Mayorga’s fragile emotional state to coerce her into signing a settlement and nondisclosure agreement in 2009. (UNI)
