• Juventus F.C. tweeted support for Cristiano Ronaldo on Thursday, following a report about rape allegations against Ronaldo from 2009.
  • Juventus said Ronaldo has shown “great professionalism and dedication” and that his reputation is unaffected by the allegations.
  • Ronaldo has firmly denied the allegations.

Juventus F.C. tweeted support for star Cristiano Ronaldo following the re-surfacing of rape allegations from 2009.

Der Spiegel reported on that case after Kathryn Mayorga, the 34-year-old woman from Las Vegas who previously agreed to a settlement with Ronaldo over rape allegations from 2009, filed a new civil suit.

On Thursday, Juventus said Ronaldo has shown “great professionalism and dedication” and that his reputation is unchanged by the allegations.

Ronaldo has denied the allegations and said he didn't want to comment on the allegations and "feed the media spectacle."

"I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me," he said. "Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in. 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."

Der Spiegel reported that Ronaldo's legal team threatened legal action over their reporting.

Ronaldo claimed that the sex was consensual. Mayorga eventually decided to pursue a settlement, and Ronaldo reportedly paid her $375,000. She said she has re-surfaced the case because she's been empowered by the "Me Too" movement and always wondered if Ronaldo had raped other women.

Though Ronaldo was excluded from upcoming Portugal national team games, the club said it stands in "total solidarity" with him.

Read about the allegations here >