Cristiano Ronaldo was missing from training two days after bombshell rape claims came to light. The £100million Portuguese footballer, 33, vehemently denies the claims made by Kathryn Mayorga, 34, which emerged in German magazine Der Spiegel on Saturday.
His training no-show comes ahead of Juve’s Champions League group stage clash with Young Boys in Bern, Switzerland tomorrow. It is not clear if former Real Madrid and Manchester United ace is being rested after receiving a one-match ban following a red card against Valencia last week.
But he did start in Juventus’ 3-1 victory over Serie A rivals Napoli on Saturday — the same day Der Spiegel published the staggering rape claims.
The report stated that ex-model Ms Mayorga was paid £287,000 in 2010 to stop her pursuing criminal charges or going public over the alleged assault at the Palms Casino Resort suite a year earlier.
The superstar denies rape and insists the sex was consensual — calling the claims “fake news”. Ms Mayorga’s lawyers are now trying to overturn the court settlement and she has spoken out for the first time.
Court documents detail the alleged attack, stating: “Cristiano Ronaldo pulled the plaintiff into a bedroom and on to a bed and attempted to engage in sexual intercourse.” It said the plaintiff refused, tried to cover herself and was screaming: “No, no, no”.
It adds: “When Cristiano Ronaldo completed the sexual assault, he allowed her to leave the bedroom stating he was sorry, he was usually a gentleman.”
The alleged rape is said to have happened in the early hours of June 13, 2009.
At the time of the alleged attack, Ronaldo, then 24, was in Las Vegas on holiday with his brother-in-law and cousin.
Budding model Ms Mayorga, then 25, was working in Rain nightclub, inside the Palms Casino Resort and met the star in the venue’s VIP area.
Paparazzi pictures showed the pair chatting, before he invited her and a friend to his penthouse suite — room 57306 at the Palms — “to enjoy the view of the Las Vegas Strip”.
The luxurious suite featured a Jacuzzi on the balcony.
Ms Mayorga claims she refused to get into the hot tub because she did not want to ruin her dress.
She said Ronaldo offered her some clothes to wear and told her to change in a bathroom.
The court papers claim that while she was changing, Ronaldo walked in, exposed himself, and asked her to perform a sex act.
In an interview with Der Spiegel, Ms Mayorga said: “This guy that is so famous and so hot . . . he’s a frickin’ loser and a creep.”
She said she refused to engage in the sex act, but kissed him after he promised he would let her go.
She recalled: “He starts to come on to me very strong.
“And he starts to do stuff to me and touch me and grab me. I pushed him away and kept saying, ‘No’.”
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She stated that, a short time later, Ronaldo pulled her into a bedroom and raped her while she cried: “No, no, no”.Ms Mayorga went to the Las Vegas Police Department later that day and was examined in hospital.
Las Vegas Police Department has spoken to Ms Mayorga several times in recent weeks – sparking claims that they may re-open the rape investigation.
Sexual assault does not fall under the US statute of limitations in Nevada — which means it can be investigated despite occurring nine years ago.
Both Ms Mayorga and lawyers for Ronaldo failed to respond to a request for comment after the claims emerged.
Multi-millionaire Ronaldo is one of the biggest names in world sport and regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time.
He has been named world player of the year five times and transferred to Juventus from Real Madrid this summer for £99milllion.
The Italian club and the Las Vegas Police Department yesterday also declined to comment on the latest revelations.