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Tag: Cristiano Ronaldo

  • Ronaldo hat-trick kicks Atletico out of Champions League

    Ronaldo hat-trick kicks Atletico out of Champions League

    Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick helped Juventus to storm back from a 2-0 first leg deficit and beat Atletico Madrid 3-0 to earn a place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday.

    Ronaldo stole the show with two headers and a late penalty kick on an ecstatic night for the Turin side.

    With Atletico Madrid packing their defence, Ronaldo made the crucial breakthrough in the 27th minute when he rose to head in Federico Bernardeschi’s cross at the far post.

    The 34-year-old levelled the aggregate scores in the last-16 clash three minutes after halftime with another towering header, this time from Joao Cancelo’s cross.

    With four minutes left, Bernardeschi powered into the Atletico area, and was pushed in the back by Angel Correa.

    Ronaldo then blasted home the resulting penalty kick for his hat-trick, his team’s victory for a 3-2 aggregate win and passage into the quarter-finals.

  • Ronaldo expected in Madrid for tax fraud trial

    Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo is expected back in Madrid on Tuesday, to attend a trial for tax evasion in which Spanish prosecutors are asking for a 23-month prison sentence and a fine.

    The Portuguese striker, who left Real Madrid for Juventus last July, is expected to plead guilty after he agreed a settlement worth 18.8 million Euros with Spanish tax authorities last summer.

    However, he is unlikely to serve any time in prison as Spanish law states a sentence of under two years for a first offence can be served on probation.

    The prosecutor’s office said it was seeking a fine of 5.7 million euros (6.5 million dollars), which it said Ronaldo had already paid, as well as interest of about one million Euros.

    That fine, expected to be confirmed on Tuesday, is part of the total agreed in the earlier settlement, judicial sources said.

    Ronaldo, 33, who has helped take Juventus to the top of Italian football’s Serie A, will have to travel to Madrid immediately after playing for Juve against Chievo on Monday.

    The trial was initially expected to take place on Monday, but the prosecutor’s office said the date was now set for Tuesday.

    It is expected to be concluded on the same day and be short, with officials saying the hearing will only require Ronaldo to confirm he accepts the deal.

  • Police request Ronaldo DNA sample over rape allegation

    Police in Las Vegas have issued a warrant for a DNA sample from Cristiano Ronaldo as part of their investigation into the rape allegations made against the Juventus forward.

    The 33-year-old’s lawyer, Peter S. Christiansen, told BBC Sport it was a “very standard request”.

    The Wall Street Journal says the warrant was recently sent to the court system in Italy.

    Ronaldo denies assaulting Kathryn Mayorga at a Las Vegas hotel in 2009.

    “Mr Ronaldo has always maintained, as he does today, that what occurred in Las Vegas in 2009 was consensual in nature, so it is not surprising that DNA would be present, nor that the police would make this very standard request as part of their investigation,” said Christiansen’s statement.

    German weekly news magazine Der Spiegel, which first published the story about the allegation in October, said Ms Mayorga filed a report with Las Vegas police shortly after the alleged incident.

    Der Spiegel said that in 2010, she reportedly reached an out-of-court settlement with Ronaldo involving a $375,000 (£288,000) payment for agreeing never to go public with the allegations.

    Her lawyers are now seeking to declare the non-disclosure agreement void.

    Ronaldo’s lawyer has previously said his client does not deny entering an agreement but that “the reasons that led him to do so are at least to be distorted”.

    He added: “This agreement is by no means a confession of guilt.”

    Ms Mayorga was inspired to speak out by the #MeToo movement, her lawyer has said, and is suing Ronaldo in a lawsuit in the United States.

    Ronaldo moved to Juventus from Real Madrid for £99.2m in July. He has won the Ballon d’Or – awarded to the world’s best footballer – in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.

    The Portuguese international has previously dismissed the allegation as “fake news” and earlier in October issued a statement through his Twitter account in which he “firmly” denied the accusation.

    His lawyers claim documents used in Der Spiegel’s investigation have been “completely fabricated” but the publication says it has “no reason” to doubt the authenticity of key documents used in its story.

  • ‘Move to Italy’, Cristiano Ronaldo challenges Messi

    ‘Move to Italy’, Cristiano Ronaldo challenges Messi

    Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo has challenged Lionel Messi to leave Barcelona and sign for a club in Italy.

    Portugal international Ronaldo joined Serie A champions Juventus from Real Madrid in a £99.2m deal in the summer.

    Ronaldo and Argentina forward Messi, 31, have long been regarded as the world’s best players, each winning five Ballon d’Or awards before Real Madrid’s Luka Modric claimed this year’s prize.

    “I’d like him to come to Italy one day,” said Ronaldo, 33.

    “I hope he accepts the challenge like me, but if he’s happy there then I respect that.”

    Ronaldo spent nine seasons at Real Madrid after arriving from Manchester United in 2009, with Messi having spent his whole career at La Liga rivals Barcelona.

    Asked if he missed Messi during an interview with Italian press, Ronaldo added: “No, maybe it’s him who misses me.

    “I’ve played in England, Spain, Italy, Portugal and for my national team, while he’s still in Spain.

    “Maybe he needs me more. For me, life is a challenge, I like it and I like to make people happy.

    “He’s a fantastic player and a good guy, but I don’t miss anything here. This is my new life and I’m happy.

    “I left my comfort zone and took on this challenge here in Turin. Everything has gone well, I’ve proven I’m still an incredible player.”

  • 2018 Ballon d’Or: Ronaldo finishes second, Messi’s name missing in top 3

    Juventus forward, Cristiano Ronaldo will finish second in the Ballon d’Or race, according to Sky Sports Italia.

    The newspaper also reported that Barcelona star, Lionel Messi will supposedly miss out on a place in the top three.

    Ronaldo joined Juventus from Real Madrid in a £105million transfer back in July, and is aiming to win the Ballon d’Or for a stunning sixth time.

    The Portugal captain has enjoyed a fine year so far, propelling Real Madrid to their third Champions League title on the trot before moving to Juventus.

    His former teammate at Real Madrid, Luka Modric is the favourite to win the award having blossomed for club and country over the last 10 months.

    French duo, Antoine Griezmann and Raphael Varane could also take the prize after helping their country win the World Cup in Russia.

    Messi, who has helped Barcelona to the La Liga summit, is not to be discounted either,

    However, Sky Sports claimed to have unearthed where Ronaldo and the others will finish, adding that Modric, who beat Ronaldo to the FIFA Best Player Award in September, will be crowned winner.

    Griezmann will then finish third, Sky Italia claim.

    This would mean that Messi will not finish on the podium for the first time since 2006 when his Barcelona career was only just really starting.

  • Again, Cristiano Ronaldo left out of Portugal squad

    Again, Cristiano Ronaldo left out of Portugal squad

    Portugal again left out Cristiano Ronaldo, their all-time record scorer and most capped player, as coach Fernando Santos named the squad for this month’s Nations League matches against Italy and Poland on Thursday.

    Santos previously omitted Ronaldo from the squad in September and October, saying the decision was taken by mutual consent as the 33-year-old was still adapting following his move from Real Madrid to Juventus.

    “The only thing I will say about Ronaldo is that I hope he wins the Ballon d’Or award,” said Santos, referring to France Football magazine’s annual player of the year award.

    “He deserves it and it would be an injustice if he didn’t win.”

    Portugal visit Italy on Nov. 17 and are at home to Poland three days later.

    Santos did not say whether Ronaldo, who last played for Portugal at the World Cup in Russia, would be recalled for their following matches in March.

    “It’s not just about Ronaldo, I have said that nobody is excluded,” said Santos. “It’s not worth creating a big fuss about it.”

    “Only the future will tell us what is going to happen. I don’t know what will happen between now and March. There will be a natural evolution… I don’t have the gift of being able to guess the future.”

    Santos recalled four Euro 2016 winners who missed the previous callup — Raphael Guerreiro, Jose Fonte, Andre Gomes and Joao Mario.

    Portugal lead Group Three with six points from two games and a draw in Italy will see them through to the semi-finals.

    Reuters/NAN

  • Ronaldo becomes first player to score 400 goals in Europe’s top five leagues

    Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score 400 goals in Europe’s top five leagues as Juventus dropped points for the first time this season.

    Ronaldo’s fifth Serie A goal for Juve was added to his 84 Premier League strikes for Manchester United and 311 in La Liga for Real Madrid.
    He tapped in after Joao Cancelo’s shot was blocked – having earlier hit the post with a header.
    But Daniel Bessa equalised with a header from Christian Kouame’s cross.
    Juventus defenders switched off for the goal, expecting the ball to drop for a corner – but Kouame kept it in and found an unmarked Bessa.
    The hosts dominated most of the game, but of their 21 shots, only three were on target – all from Ronaldo, who had 11 efforts in total, in the first half.
    Krzysztof Piatek’s run of scoring in every game for Genoa since his summer move from Cracovia came to an end. The 23-year-old Poland striker had scored 13 goals in his first eight games.
    Ronaldo’s landmark puts him 11 goals above the second top scorer in Europe’s main leagues, Lionel Messi – who has scored 389 La Liga goals for Barcelona.
    Champions Juve had won their opening eight Serie A games and two Champions League fixtures. They are seven points above second-placed Napoli – who visit Udinese.
    On Tuesday, they visit Manchester United in the Champions League

  • Cristiano Ronaldo denies rape allegation

    Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo has “firmly” denied raping a woman in a US hotel room almost a decade ago.

    Ronaldo, 33, said he was calm over “any and all investigations” as he had a “clear” conscience over the allegation he attacked Kathryn Mayorga in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009.
    He spoke out ahead of her lawyers giving a press conference on Wednesday.
    He had previously said the allegation, first reported in German magazine Der Spiegel, was “fake news”.
    On Wednesday, he issued a statement through his Twitter account:


    Der Spiegel said Ms Mayorga, 34, had filed a report with Las Vegas police shortly after the alleged incident.
    But the next year, she reportedly reached an out-of-court settlement with Ronaldo involving a $375,000 (£288,000) payment for agreeing never to go public with the allegations.
    Her lawyers are now seeking to declare the non-disclosure agreement void.
    Las Vegas police confirmed on Tuesday they had initially investigated a complaint in June 2009, but added they had no suspect in the case.
    “At the time the report was taken, the victim did not provide detectives with the location of the incident or suspect description,” a statement said.
    “As of September 2018, the case has been reopened and our detectives are following up on information being provided,” it added.
    Ronaldo’s lawyers have previously said they will sue Der Spiegel magazine over its reporting.

  • Juventus signing Ronaldo says players of his age go to Qatar or China

    Juventus signing Ronaldo says players of his age go to Qatar or China

    Cristiano Ronaldo says he is “grateful for the opportunity” given to him by Juventus, as players of his age “usually go to Qatar or China”.

    The 33-year-old Portugal forward has joined the Italian champions for £99.2m after nine years at Real Madrid.

    “To come to this club at this stage of my career, I am very happy,” he said at his presentation in Turin.

    Ronaldo also said he hopes to be the “lucky star” as the Italian side attempt to win the Champions League.

    He added he had not received any other offers.

    Ronaldo scored a club record 450 goals for Real – winning four Champions Leagues and La Liga twice – having joined from Manchester United in 2009.

    A five-time Ballon D’Or winner – including last year – he led Portugal to victory at the 2016 European Championship.

    “I want to win,” he said. “I want to be the best. Who knows, maybe I will be awarded the Ballon d’Or again but things will happen naturally.

    “It was difficult to win it in Manchester and Real Madrid, but maybe here? We will see.”

    Ronaldo said there were “many important things” that contributed to his decision.

    “I am well – physically, mentally and emotionally,” he said. “That is why I am so proud of being here and the way I have come here.

    “I am different from all the other players who think that their career is over at my age, but I want to show the others that I am different. It is very emotional for me at the club now because I am not 23, I am 33.

    “It gives me so much momentum for the future.”

  • Cristiano Ronaldo joins Juventus for £99.2m

    Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has joined Juventus, becoming one of the four most expensive players of all time.

    A deal worth 112m euros (£99.2m) has been reached between the two clubs that has seen the Portuguese sign a four-year deal with the Italian champions.

    Ronaldo, 33, won four Champions League titles in his nine years at Real.

    “The time has come to open a new stage in my life, that’s why I asked the club to accept transferring me,” he said.

    The top two world record transfer fees have been paid out by Paris St-Germain – the £200m they paid Barcelona for Brazil forward Neymar last August, and the fee of around £166m for France forward Kylian Mbappe in July after a successful season on loan with PSG.

    Barcelona also paid Liverpool £142m for Brazil midfielder Philippe Coutinho in January. For Juventus, the fee they will pay for Ronaldo is set to eclipse the £75.3m they paid for forward Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli in July 2016.

    Juventus are set to play Real Madrid in a pre-season International Champions Cup tournament in the United States, with the match taking place at FedEx Field in Washington on Saturday, 4 August.