Ronaldo plays on under cloud of rape accusation
UDINE, ITALY— Cristiano Ronaldo asked his Juventus teammates to leave him alone.
For all that he’s embroiled in — accused of rape nine years ago — the soccer superstar wanted some space so he could celebrate his goal on Saturday all by himself in front of a TV camera. He leaped into the air with an emphatic double fist pump and then let his teammates congratulate him.
Ronaldo’s powerful, angled goal, the second of the match and his fourth of the season, was met by applause and boos in the Italian league game at the home of Udinese. Ronaldo and Juventus finished 2-0 winners.
“Ronaldo had a good game,” Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said. “He’s been training serenely and tonight he scored an extraordinary goal.”
Kathryn Mayorga has filed a civil lawsuit in the U.S. saying she was raped by Ronaldo in Las Vegas in 2009. Police have re-opened an investigation. Ronaldo has denied the accusation. Ronaldo, who has not addressed the allegation by Mayorga, was also not available for questions after the match. He missed a Champions League game for Juventus last week because of an automatic suspension from a red card and was left out of Portugal’s squad for upcoming international matches.
Since the allegation surfaced, Juventus’ share price has fallen by nearly 20 per cent.