Could this be the collapse of the commercial empire Cristiano Ronaldo worked years to build? With the Portuguese ace dominating the headlines over rape allegations, a number of his biggest sponsors have come out and admitted deep concerns over the claims against the 33-year-old.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been accused of sexually assaulting Kathryn Mayorga at Palms Hotel back in 2009, a case which was recently reopened by Las Vegas police. This comes after the accusor allegedly received a $375,000 payoff from the Portuguese ace in a settlement which prohibited her from going public once more.
But go public with her claims she did, and despite denying her side of the story as "fake news", Ronaldo still faces trouble with his sponsors. Nike, the American multinational corporation that the player has become synonymous with, revealed in a public statement that they are "deeply concerned" with what's unfolding.
"We are deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations and will continue to closely monitor the situation," AP quotes Cristiano's $1BN endorsers as saying in an email.
EA, a company that has the Juventus superstar as the poster boy for their popular FIFA game, expressed a similar tone in a statement to the AP. They said:
"We have seen the concerning report that details allegations against Cristiano Ronaldo. We are closely monitoring the situation, as we expect cover athletes and ambassadors to conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with EA's values."
Save the Children, whom Ronaldo is an ambassador for, confessed that they are "working to get more information" about the allegation. However, the player's Serie A employers took a different approach with their response.
The Bianconeri broke their silence on Thursday evening, throwing their full support behind the Portuguese icon who has impressed so far in his debut season for the Italian giant. The club did not address the issue in length but hailed their mega summer signing as a "great champion" regardless of what he is currently facing.
"Cristiano Ronaldo has shown in recent months his great professionalism and dedication, which is appreciated by everyone at Juventus," Juventus wrote on Twitter.
"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."
Cristiano also took to Twitter recently to address the claim brought up against him. In his tweet, the former Real Madrid ace revealed why he has not openly spoken about the Mayorga case.
I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in. 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.
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) October 3, 2018
My clear conscious will thereby allow me to await with tranquillity the results of any and all investigations.
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) October 3, 2018
Nonetheless, the five-time Champions League winner's image has been tarnished. While his millions of fans might flock to his defense, his commercial empire faces its toughest test.
