Nike on Friday said it is “deeply concerned” by rape allegations against star client Cristiano Ronaldo, while shares in Juventus fell almost 10 percent on the Italian stock exchange.
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said the striker is “doing well” and was “ready to play” in yesterday’s game at Udinese.
However, the player’s relationship with Nike, which is rumored to be worth US$1 billion, is under scrutiny after police in Las Vegas last week announced that they were reopening an investigation into allegations made by a former model Kathryn Mayorga.
Photo: AP
“We are deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations and will continue to closely monitor the situation,” a Nike spokesman said.
According to Forbes, Ronaldo is one of only three athletes to have been given a lifetime deal with Nike.
Electronic Arts (EA) Sports, for whom Ronaldo is a leading figure in their FIFA video game, also called the allegations “concerning.”
Shares of Juventus on Friday closed down 9.92 percent at 1.19 euros on the Milan stock exchange.
Juventus have so far stood behind Ronaldo, but the club’s reaction to the issue has angered some fans.
The Portuguese striker “has shown in recent months his great professionalism and dedication, which is appreciated by everyone at Juventus,” the club wrote on Twitter on Thursday, breaking their silence over the allegations.
“The events allegedly dating back to almost 10 years ago do not change this opinion, which is shared by anyone who has come into contact with this great champion,” it added.
The defending Serie A champions’ tweets were widely panned on social media as “shockingly dismissive and insensitive.”
“You’d expect a more nuanced and sensitive approach from such a mega organisation,” one tweet said.
Ronaldo has vehemently denied the accusations.
“I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me,” he tweeted in English on Wednesday. “Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in.”
“My clear conscious ... will thereby allow me to await with tranquility the results of any and all investigations,” he added.
Portugal on Thursday said that Ronaldo would play no part in the nation’s next four internationals, but national coach Fernando Santos gave him his backing.
“I know Cristiano Ronaldo very well and I fully believe his word when he says he would never commit a crime like this,” Santos said.
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals at the All England Open, beating Kim Ga-eun of South Korea 21-17, 21-15. With the win, Tai earned a semi-final against China’s He Bingjiao, who beat Michelle Li of Canada 21-9, 21-9. Defending champion An Se-young defeated India’s P.V. Sindhu 21-19, 21-11. An on Wednesday cruised into the second round, unlike last year’s men’s winner, Li Shifeng, who suffered a shock defeat. South Korea’s An, the world No. 1, overcame Taiwan’s Hsu Wen-chi 21-17, 21-16 to set up the match against Sindhu. In other women’s singles matches, Taiwan’s Sung Shuo-yun lost 21-18, 24-22 against Carolina Marin of
EYEING TOP SPOT: A victory in today’s final against Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova would return 38-year-old Hsieh Su-wei to the world No. 1 ranking Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens on Thursday secured a spot in the women’s doubles finals at the BNP Paribas Open after dispatching Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at Indian Wells. Hsieh and her Belgian partner Mertens, who won the Australian Open in late January, coasted through the first set after breaking their opponents’ serve twice, but found the going tougher in the second. Both pairs could only muster one break point over 12 games, neither of which were converted, leaving the set to be decided by a tiebreaker. Hsieh and Mertens took a 6-3 lead,
DOUBLES PAYBACK: Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Martens avenged their defeat in the quarters at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open against Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Hsieh and partner Elise Mertens of Belgium dispatched Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani 6-1, 6-4 to set up a clash against Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez for a spot in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament. Hsieh and Martens made a blistering start to their rematch after they lost to Schuurs and Stefani in the quarter-finals at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last month, winning three games without reply at the start of the first set