Nike "deeply concerned" by Cristiano Ronaldo's rape charges

Nike, the big sports retail company that has signed a $ 1 billion deal with Cristiano Ronaldo, is "deeply concerned" by the rape charges against him.

Kathryn Mayorga, a 34-year-old American, said Ronaldo had raped her in a Las Vegas penthouse at $ 1,000 a night without a condom in 2009, according to an article in German magazine Der Spiegel's last week.

Ronaldo "firmly" denied the accusations on Twitter and said he "refused to feed the media show created by people seeking to promote themselves at my expense."

The story has "discouraged" Save the Children, a charity with which Ronaldo works closely – and more and more well-known partners have issued statements to express alarm at the news.

Nike, whose relationship with Ronaldo began in 2003, said: "We are deeply concerned about the disturbing allegations and we will continue to monitor the situation closely," said the BBC.

And Nike is not the only company of the first order to worry about.

EA Sports, the video game maker behind the hugely popular FIFA football series, has seen Ronaldo cover several of his editions. "We have seen the disturbing report detailing the allegations against Cristiano Ronaldo," EA Sports told AP, according to the BBC.

"We are watching the situation closely because we expect the athletes and the coverage ambassadors to behave in a manner that is consistent with EA's values."

The allegation has polarized relatives Ronaldo, Juventus FC – the current employer of the attacker – having issued a statement via Twitter confirming his support.

"Ronaldo has demonstrated in recent months his great professionalism and dedication, which everyone appreciates at Juventus," the statement said. "Events that date back nearly 10 years do not change this view, which is shared by everyone who has come into contact with this great champion."

Juventus' statement follows the support of Ronaldo's national team.

In a statement to the Portuguese news agency LUSA, which was forwarded to Business Insider and translated from Portuguese, Fernando Gomes, president of the Portuguese Football Federation, said: "In my name and on behalf of the Federation Portuguese football, I express a total solidarity with Cristiano Ronaldo, in circumstances where his reputation and reputation are in danger.

"I believe in the statements he made yesterday, not only because I defend innocence as a fundamental principle of the rule of law, but also because I have known Ronaldo for many years and I testifies to his good morals. "

Although Ronaldo was ruled out of the last Portuguese team, he was part of Juventus' lineup for the club's next Serie A match on Saturday. It remains to be seen if he will play.