Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be coming back to the United States anytime soon. Amid a Las Vegas police investigation into allegations Ronaldo raped a woman in 2009, the Juventus Preseason Tour 2019 will not swing through the U.S., as it has in recent years, according to reports from the New York Times.
Juventus summer tour plans mean Ronaldo avoids risk of U.S. detention - https://t.co/NlDdKoTOlI
— tariq panja (@tariqpanja) March 20, 2019
Organizers of the International Champions Cup, with which Juventus has signed a multiyear contract, have decided to send Juventus to the smaller, Asian portion of the tournament this summer as Juventus does not want to risk Ronaldo being detained by authorities as part of the rape investigation.
Ronaldo is accused of raping Kathryn Mayorga in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009 and paying her $375,000 to keep her quiet. Ronaldo’s lawyers have admitted there was a sexual encounter, but it was consensual.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said last year it is investigating the claims again, with German magazine Der Spiegel claiming to have obtained confidential documents surrounding the case, including the hush money.
Ronaldo was a member of Manchester United at the time he was accused of inviting Mayorga up to his Las Vegas suite and assaulting her, a claim Ronaldo and his lawyers have vehemently denied. Mayorga went to the police and underwent a medical examination the day after the alleged assault. In January, reports surfaced that Las Vegas police were seeking Ronaldo’s DNA.
Despite the denials and Bianconeri putting out a statement in support of its star man, the club will avoid the U.S. for the Juventus Preseason Tour 2019 for fear of Ronaldo being detained by U.S. law enforcement.
Last year, Juventus finished seventh out of 18 teams in the International Champions Cup while playing in Philadelphia, New Jersey and Washington D.C.. The preseason competition is helpful to train for the regular season but doesn’t really hold much clout in terms of trophies. Case in point: Tottenham won the 2018 tournament while Barcelona finished last.
Ronaldo transferred from Real Madrid to Juventus for $114 million after the 2018 World Cup and has settled in nicely, scoring 24 goals with 12 assists in 36 appearances for the Old Lady. He recently scored a hat trick against Atlético Madrid to send Juve into the Champions League quarterfinals while he’s two off the pace for the Serie A Capocannoniere.
Ronaldo was fined $23,000 by UEFA this week for an inappropriately suggestive celebration in that Atlético win. He was recently reintroduced to the Portugal national team after a lengthy layoff following the World Cup, with some suspecting his absence was tied to the rape allegations.
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