Real Madrid's CRISTIANO RONALDO "probably doesn't need" another €20M ($22.64M) but he has "just made it in the easiest way possible" -- by doing "literally nothing." He was due to be given a small role in MARTIN SCORSESE's new film, The Manipulator. But "only because his penthouse apartment" in N.Y. is due to be used by the movie's producers during shooting. As part of the deal he was offered a cameo in the film but that has "now been scuppered" after the man whom the flick is based on vetoed his involvement. ALESSANDRO PROTO, an Italian millionaire whom the book 50 Shades of Grey is "supposedly based on," said, "Ronaldo is a great player, but that doesn't mean he is the king of the world. I don't want him in a film about my life" (London DAILY MIRROR, 10/19). ... About 30 homeless people who "have set up camp in an empty building owned by two former Manchester United players have been told they can stay for winter." GARY NEVILLE and RYAN GIGGS are renovating the former Stock Exchange building in Manchester city center "into a luxury hotel." WESLEY HALL, a human rights activist, said he spoke to Neville on the phone and was told "they could stay until February when building work will start" (BBC, 10/19). ... Australian Turf Club Exec GM of Racing MATTHEW RUDOLPH is facing disqualification from the sport "after being found guilty of several charges relating to perverting the direction of stewards' inquiries into cobalt." Rudolph has been found guilty of "attempting to obstruct or hinder stewards, misconduct and improper conduct and acting prejudicial to the image of racing by a sub-committee of the Racing NSW board." If he is banned Rudolph "will be the third member of the ATC racing department, which he had managed, to be disqualified in the past year" (THE AGE, 10/19). ... UAE int'l ABDULLAH QASSEM has been jailed for three months "after insulting his national team manager MAHDI ALI in a video." The 29-year-old, who plays for Al-Dhafra in the UAE Arabian Gulf League, made "indecent gestures and criticized Ali after the manager had not included him in the team." Qassem, along with a second unnamed Al-Dhafra player who filmed the rant, "were given the three-month sentences by the Abu Dhabi Court of Misdemeanours" (REUTERS, 10/19). ... At the annual Golden Track Awards in Lausanne, DAFNE SCHIPPERS of the Netherlands and Britain’s GREG RUTHERFORD were crowned European female and male athletes of the year '15. Schippers is the first female athlete to retain the title, having won the trophy in '14. World and Olympic long jump champion Rutherford received his trophy from newly elected IAAF President SEBASTIAN COE. Rutherford this year completed a feat only four other Brits had achieved before him, holding all four major titles -- Olympic, world, European and Commonwealth -- at the same time (IAAF).
