Ronaldo helped Juventus win 2-0 on Saturday, but a number of his endorsement deals could be in jeopardy.GETTY IMAGES
EA Sports deleted Cristiano Ronaldo's image from the cover picture of FIFA 19 on its website, according to Taruka Srivastav of THE DRUM. The move comes after the player's sponsors, including Nike, EA Sports and DAZN, "expressed concern over the rape allegation facing the footballer." The many brands affiliated with the Juventus forward "will now be weighing" up whether they should "stick by this commercial powerhouse or cut ties from a figure under enormous scrutiny." Ronaldo is accused of raping American woman Kathryn Mayorga in a Las Vegas hotel room in '09. EA Sports reportedly said in a statement, "We have seen the concerning report that details allegations against Cristiano Ronaldo. 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" (THE DRUM, 10/6).
TREADING LIGHTLY: The AP's Rob Harris reported sponsors are "continuing to express concern about the case despite a denial from Ronaldo." While EA Sports "has not suspended the sponsorship, it has been distancing itself from the face of its game in recent days." The only visual representation of Ronaldo on EA Sports' website is "Ronaldo on the cover of the game box with Neymar." Such a move will not "be taken lightly." Simon Leaf, a sports and commercial lawyer at London-based Mishcon de Reya, said, "They have to tread carefully so that they are not prejudging him before an investigation reaches its conclusion. At the same time, the brand will have to be careful because depending on the commercial deal they reached, it’s not that uncommon for these deals to include clauses to oblige the brand to make use of the rights they are getting." Nike, which has a reported $1B deal with Ronaldo, also said that it was "deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations." Another sponsor, streaming platform DAZN, spoke out on Friday. The company, which signed Ronaldo as a global ambassador in August, said, "We take allegations of this nature extremely seriously and continue to monitor the situation closely" (AP, 10/5). CNN's Aimee Lewis reported amid rape allegations and with "growing unease among his sponsors," Ronaldo "appeared unaffected as he starred" for Juventus in the club's 2-0 win at Udinese on Saturday. A "full-page advert showing Ronaldo wearing only underpants" appeared in Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport on Saturday. The ad promotes his CR7 underwear line with Italian fashion brand Yamamay (CNN, 10/7).
PRESUMPTION OF INNOCENCE: The AP's Andrew Dampf reported Ronaldo was not available for questions after Saturday's match, and Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri "would not speculate what has been going through Ronaldo’s mind" away from the field. Allegri: "Off the pitch, I don’t know, because I don’t live with him at home. I see him on the pitch and he’s serene. He trains, he plays and he scores goals -- that’s the most important thing." Portuguese PM António Costa "spoke in defense of Ronaldo, appealing to the presumption of innocence, as well as Ronaldo’s successful career." He said, "People need to understand ... (the) presumption of innocence. It is not enough for someone to be accused of something to be guilty of it. If there’s something we have proof of, it is that he is an extraordinary professional, an extraordinary sportsman, an extraordinary footballer, and someone who has honored and given prestige to Portugal, and certainly what we all wish for is that nothing can ever stain that record of Ronaldo" (AP, 10/6).
RIPPLE EFFECT: The BBC reported Juventus' shares "dropped sharply on Friday" after criticism of the club's handling of the rape allegation against Ronaldo. The club's share prices "had hit record levels after Ronaldo joined in July." But "they have dipped since the allegation emerged against him on Tuesday -- losing almost 10% of their value on Friday alone." The club's social media accounts have been criticized for tweets they posted on Thursday. Football pundit Gary Lineker described the posts as "awful." Other users labeled them "abhorrent" and called for Juventus to apologize, "while other replies defended the posts" (BBC, 10/5).
