RONALDO HITS BACK

Lawyer: Yes, we paid her off...but it was not rape

CRISTIANO Ronaldo’s new Las Vegas lawyer confirmed the player had struck a financial deal with Kathryn Mayorga, the woman who accuses the Portuguese of rape, but insisted documents about the case had been forged in a deliberate attempt to defame him.

Peter Christiansen said there was nothing suspicious about Ronaldo paying Ms Mayorga $350,000 (£266,000) to keep quiet about what the player claims was consensual sex at a Las Vegas hotel, in 2009.

‘This settlement is by no means a confession of guilt,’ the lawyer said. He insisted Ronaldo had paid up to quash ‘outrageous allegations’ which were an attempt to ‘destroy a reputation that has been built upon hard work, athleticism, and honour.’

He said Ronaldo, 33, who denies the allegations, would sue German media outlet Der

Spiegel over the publication of documents secured from the whistleblowing platform,

Football Leaks — which has revealed hundreds of contracts, third party ownership deals and alleged tax evasion strategies.

Christiansen added: ‘In 2015, dozens of entities, including law firms... were hacked and their electronic data was stolen and captured by a cybercriminal.

‘This hacker attempted to sell this data, and one media outlet has now irresponsibly published the stolen documents, significant portions of which were altered and/or completely fabricated.’

The lawyer did not make clear exactly which ‘portions’.

Central to the allegations, according to Der Spiegel, is a questionnaire in which Ronaldo admits Ms Mayorga told him ‘no’ and ‘stop’ multiple times.

Las Vegas police have re-opened their inquiry into Ms Mayorga’s claims.