Ronaldo squabbles with Italian minister over health rules

Cristiano Ronaldo become involved in a public row with Italy's sports minister on Friday as the pair indirectly accused each other of lying about whether the Portugal international had broken health rules after testing positive for COVID-19.

Vincenzo Spadafora said on Thursday the Juventus forward might have broken the rules by flying back to Italy from national team duty in Portugal after he tested positive for the virus earlier this week. But in a social media post on Friday, Ronaldo hit back, saying he had done everything by the book.

“A gentlemen here in Italy, whose name I won't mention, said I didn't obey the protocol — that's simply a lie,” said Ronaldo in an Instagram post from his Turin villa, where he is in quarantine and asymptomatic.

“I followed all the protocols and I will continue to follow them, my conscience is clear ... Everything I did was authorized.”

Ronaldo, 35, tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday while he was with the Portugal squad and flew back in a private jet the following day.

“They said I broke Italian law and this and that ... it's all lies, I did everything properly,” he added.

Spadafora later replied during an interview with the Italian news agency Ansa.

“The fame and skill of certain players does not entitle them to be arrogant, disrespectful to the institutions and to lie,” he said. “On the contrary, the more well-known you are, the more you should feel the responsibility of thinking before speaking and setting a good example.”