RON DROPPED
Cristiano Ronaldo left out of Portugal squad as he fights Las Vegas rape allegations
CRISTIANO Ronaldo has been left out of Portugal's squad while he fights shock rape allegations.
The move comes just a day after the Juventus star announced he had a "clear conscience" following claims he sexually attacked a former model at a Las Vegas hotel.
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Ronaldo has been accused of rape by Kathryn Mayorga, who says the player assaulted her in a hotel penthouse in 2009. He has vehemently denied the accusation.
Ronaldo was left off the squad for Portugal's second game in the UEFA Nations League at Poland on October 11 and a friendly match in Glasgow against Scotland three days later.
Portugal coach Fernando Santos said his star player will also not be called up for the next round of international games in November.
Santos said the decision was taken after a three-way conversation between him, Ronaldo and the head of the Portuguese soccer federation.
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He refused to give details of the conversation, nor would he comment on Ronaldo's state of mind, saying the information was private and personal.
Santos said he expected Ronaldo to play again for Portugal eventually.
Ronaldo also missed Portugal's first two post-World Cup matches last month, with Santos saying then that Ronaldo had only just moved to Italian club Juventus and was still settling down there.
Then Santos used the 33-year-old team captain's absence to try out younger players.
Ronaldo, who is nearing the end of his playing career, is a national hero in Portugal and the country's best-known celebrity.
He is the country's most experienced player with 154 national team appearances, and its all-time highest scorer with 85 goals.
Cristiano Ronaldo does trademark celebration after goal in Juventus training in wake of rape allegations
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The Juventus star has hit back at the slurs saying his conscious was clear over the alleged attack on Kathryn Mayorga.
Ronaldo wrote on Twitter: "I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. 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."
He added: "My clear conscious will thereby allow me to await with tranquillity the results of any and all investigations.”
Ms Mayorga claims the Portuguese superstar attacked her in the Palms Casino Resort - before allegedly apologising and saying he is "usually a gentleman".
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She went public on Saturday to give a scathing interview in Der Spiegel — in which she branded him "a frickin’ loser and a creep.”
His lawyers have called the reporting in the German news mag "blatantly illegal" and have said they will be seeking substantial damages.
On Monday it emerged that Las Vegas police have re-opened the investigation into the alleged sexual assault.
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