Nike ‘deeply concerned’ by rape allegations made against Ronaldo

Nike says it is ‘deeply concerned’ by ‘disturbing’ rape allegations made against Cristiano Ronaldo

US sportswear firm Nike say they are ‘deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations’ facing Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo, 33, has been accused of raping a US woman, Kathryn Mayorga, in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009.

While the Portugal captain has firmly denied the allegations and Juventus have backed him during the ordeal – Nike and EA Sports have taken a similar stance.

“Keen as I may be to clear my name, I refuse to feed the media spectacle created by people seeking to promote themselves at my expense,” Ronaldo said on Twitter on Wednesday.

“My clear conscious will thereby allow me to await with tranquillity the results of any and all investigations.”

Nike, however, which reportedly has a $1bn (R14 billion) deal with Ronaldo, said in a statement to the Press Association that it is ‘deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations’ and ‘will continue to closely monitor the situation’.

The sportswear company has had a contract with Ronaldo, one of the wealthiest and most famous footballers in the world, since 2003. – kickoff.com