On Tuesday, Old Trafford will welcome a returning hero, even as he lines up for the opposing team. Juventus‘ Cristiano Ronaldo will be showered with love.
That is no surprise. In six seasons at Manchester United, the Portuguese star went from raw, exciting, 18-year-old to Ballon d’Or winner, helping the club win three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, and the third Champions League trophy in United’s history.
Most players would have felt the recriminations of their fans for handling a move to Real Madrid the way he did. United fans have forgiven him, largely choosing to appreciate what he achieved in their colours. The events of summer 2009, when he was made a world-record transfer, have been consigned to history.
Kathryn Mayorga has her own memories of Ronaldo and that summer.
The known facts regarding Ronaldo and Mayorga are that they met one summer night in Las Vegas, nine years ago, and partied together. Whatever happened that night led to the two of them entering into an agreement a year later, in which the football superstar agreed to pay a settlement of $375,000.
According to German news magazine Der Spiegel, that was a result of Mayorga filing a complaint against Ronaldo for allegedly raping her, with the money reportedly paid in exchange for her silence. Ronaldo’s lawyer, Peter Christiansen, has since insisted that the settlement was only agreed upon to end the ‘outrageous accusations’.
Ronaldo himself has repeatedly denied the allegations, including on Monday on the eve of the United-Juventus tie.
“I know I am an example, I know 100 per cent, in the pitch and outside the pitch,” he said in the pre-match news conference.
“I am not going to lie on the situation. I am very happy. My lawyers are confident and of course I am too.
“I enjoy football, my life. The rest, I have people who take care of my life and, of course, the truth is always coming in a first position, so I’m good.”
That “truth” is in direct clash with Mayorga’s, and she is standing by her version of events. Der Spiegel is robustly defending its reporting of the story, as well, after Ronaldo’s legal team claimed it had published “fake facts”.
There was a statement released yesterday, on behalf of @Cristiano #Ronaldo, concerning the rape allegations and our reporting at @derSpiegel. #CR7's lawyer claimed that we quoted manipulated documents in our story. This is our answer. 1/11
— Christoph Winterbach (@derWinterbach) October 11, 2018
When these allegations resurfaced late this September, it took days after Der Spiegel published their story for the rest of football’s media to pick up on it. Once the footballing world did react, one of the first responses came from Juventus, defending their player and calling him a “great champion”.
If football is a reflection of society, here lies the proof.
The Mark Sampson-Eni Aluko case in England laid bare the sexism within the English FA. One of football’s most common jokes involves “teaching” women the offside rule. United, until this summer, didn’t even have a women’s team, and women’s football lags behind the men’s game in terms of exposure and financial clout.
The US women’s national team, despite far outstripping its men’s counterpart in terms of success, is having to fight for equal pay.
.@Cristiano Ronaldo has shown in recent months his great professionalism and dedication, which is appreciated by everyone at Juventus. 1/1
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) October 4, 2018
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. 2/2
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) October 4, 2018
Not that sexism and misogyny are football’s only sins. Europe has seen the rampant racism among fans and indeed those in power at clubs, with little consequence bar the occasional closed-doors game for clubs whose fans have been found guilty. Chelsea and Liverpool, both the clubs themselves and their fans, banded behind John Terry and Luis Suarez, respectively, when they were accused of racism.
Their accusers faced those fans’ ire. Accusing their player of racism was the sin, not racism itself.
But society is slowly, belatedly, being forced to confront racism, sexism and other prejudices that have existed for far too long. The #MeToo movement has been outing sexual predators in all walks of life. Football can’t be far behind.
On Tuesday, United fans will sing Ronaldo’s name. At the moment, like the banks of the mid-2000s, football’s biggest star seems too big to fail. Perhaps something akin to a bailout will be found for him.
But, if proven guilty, Ronaldo could end up being football’s reckoning.
