Nike 'deeply concerned' by 'disturbing' Cristiano Ronaldo rape allegation

Nike (Sao Paolo: NIKE34.SA - news) says it is "deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations" facing footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.

The sportswear company issued a statement after a woman filed a lawsuit claiming she was raped by the Portugal star in Las Vegas in 2009.

Nike has had a contract since 2003 with Ronaldo, who vehemently denies the rape allegation against him.

In a statement, Nike said: "We are deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations and will continue to closely monitor the situation."

The firm's comments come hours after Ronaldo was left out of Portugal's squad for two upcoming matches.

Teacher Kathryn Mayorga, 34, has claimed the Juventus (Milan: JUVE.MI - news) player raped her in June 2009 in a Las Vegas hotel room.

Ronaldo, 33, tweeted on Wednesday that he "firmly" denies the accusation - his first direct denial of the allegations .

"Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in," the former Real Madrid and Manchester United (NYSE: MANU - news) player said.

"Keen as I may be to clear my name, I refuse to feed the media spectacle created by people seeking to promote themselves at my expense.

"My clear conscious (sic) will thereby allow me to await with tranquillity the results of any and all investigations."

Responding to the rape claim, Juventus - who signed Ronaldo in July for €112m (£99.2m) - said the player had "shown in recent months his great professionalism and dedication".

"The events allegedly dating back to almost 10 years ago do not change this opinion, which is shared by anyone who has come into contact with this great champion," the club added.

Shares (Berlin: DI6.BE - news) in the club lost 5% on Friday, however.

Ronaldo will not play for his national team in its second game of the UEFA Nations League in Poland on 11 October.

He will also miss a friendly match in Glasgow against Scotland three days later.

Portugal coach Fernando Santos said the decision to omit Ronaldo was made with him, the player and the head of the Portuguese soccer federation.

"We agreed the player wouldn't be available, wouldn't be an option for selection," Mr Santos said.

Santos (Dusseldorf: STS1.DU - news) also said he believed Ronaldo's denials.

A lawsuit has been filed by Ms Mayorga against Ronaldo, and police in Las Vegas have reopened their investigation.

The lawsuit claims she was coerced into signing a $375,000 (£332,000) out-of-court settlement with Ronaldo in 2010.

She (Munich: SOQ.MU - news) wants the agreement to be declared void and said she gained the courage to speak out because of the #MeToo movement.

Her lawyer said on Wednesday that Ms Mayorga wants to avoid the cameras because of her emotional state.

He said since the alleged sexual assault she has suffered from "major" depression and PTSD.

Ronaldo's lawyers say reporting of the allegations and details of the settlement in the German publication Der Spiegel was "blatantly illegal".

EA Sports, another one of Ronaldo's sponsors, said on Wednesday: "We are closely monitoring the situation, as we expect cover athletes and ambassadors to conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with EA's values."