Juventus, sponsors respond to Cristiano Ronaldo rape allegations

Juventus have come out in support of their star forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, in regards to the rape allegations that resurfaced last week.

Last week, new details emerged in the rape allegations against Cristiano Ronaldo. On Thursday afternoon, Juventus tweeted out in support of their star, saying the player has “shown great professionalism and dedication” and that “the events allegedly dating back to almost 10 years do not change this opinion.”

This sparked outrage among the soccer community. The language used makes it seem as if the club are dismissing the allegations, or worse, suggesting it doesn’t matter if he’s guilty because he’s a good professional.

This is a bad look for the Italian powerhouse. In cases like this, teams usually come out with very vague statements that offer support for the player without dismissing the claims. This series of tweets does the opposite and makes the team seem tone-deaf to the situation.

Nike, which sponsors Ronaldo, is reportedly “deeply concerned” about the allegations against him. Rob Harris of the Associated Press reported that Nike has called the allegations “disturbing.” Juventus, though, continue to back Ronaldo. Portugal has also left their captain off the upcoming roster for their next two matches. Another sponsor of Ronaldo’s, EA Sports, has also been monitoring the allegations, according to Harris.

Regardless of what you believe about the allegations, the response from Juventus is troubling. To have a major sports team struggle to respond properly to criminal allegations against one of their athletes is a major issue. Chances are this will blow over soon, but that should not dismiss the fact the social media team at Juventus really missed the message with these tweets.