Cristiano Ronaldo denies rape as "false news"

Cristiano Ronaldo has described as "false news" the accusations of an American woman who claims to have been raped by the Portuguese footballer in 2009.

In an Instagram video, Ronaldo said, "They want to promote [themselves] by [using] my name. It's normal. "

Ronaldo's lawyers have announced that they would sue the German magazine Der Spiegel, who initially reported these accusations.

The magazine wrote that Kathryn Mayorga had claimed that Ronaldo, 33, had raped her in a hotel room in Las Vegas.

Ms. Mayorga, 34, reportedly filed a rape report with the Las Vegas police shortly after the alleged incident.

In 2010, she reportedly reached a settlement with Ronaldo involving a payment of $ 375,000 (£ 288,000) for agreeing to never publish the allegations.

His lawyers are now seeking to declare the nondisclosure agreement void.

In a statement, Ronaldo's lawyer, Christian Schertz, said "reporting to Spiegel is clearly illegal."

He added that he had been instructed to seek compensation for "moral injury" for "probably one of the most serious human rights violations of recent years".

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Ronaldo joined Italian Juventus from Real Madrid for £ 99.2m earlier this year.

The Portuguese international is considered one of the greatest players of all time.