CELEBRITY
RONALDO IN DISPUTE WITH ITALIAN SPORTS MINISTER
Cristiano Ronaldo become involved in a public row with Italy’s sports minister as the pair indirectly accused each other of lying over whether the Portugal international had broken health rules after testing positive for Covid-19.
Vincenzo Spadafora said on Thursday that the Juventus forward might have infringed the rules by flying back to Italy from national team duty in Portugal, after he tested positive for the virus earlier last week.
But, in a social media post on Friday, Ronaldo hit back and said he had done everything by the book.
“A gentlemen here in Italy, whose name I won’t mention, said I didn’t obey the protocol – that’s simply a lie,” he said in an Instagram post from his Turin villa, where he is in quarantine and asymptomatic.
“I followed all the protocols and I will continue to follow them, my conscience is clear… Everything I did was authorised.”
He tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday while he was with the Portugal squad and flew back in a private jet the following day.
“They said I broke Italian law and this and that… it’s all lies, I did everything properly,” he added.
“We did everything the right way – leaving the (Portugal) team, in the air ambulance, arriving in Turin… I did not have contact with anyone.”
Spadafora later replied in an interview with the Italian news agency Ansa, saying: “The fame and skill of certain players does not entitle them to be arrogant, disrespectful to the institutions and to lie.
“On the contrary, the more well known you are, the more you should feel the responsibility of setting a good example.”
Juventus said on Thursday that Ronaldo returned to Italy in a “medical flight authorised by the competent health authorities”.
The entire Juve team were back in isolation on Wednesday evening after midfielder Weston McKennie tested positive.
Both he and Ronaldo must test negative before rejoining their teammates. Under UEFA rules, a player must provide evidence that he is no longer sick a week before a European match.
Ronaldo, who misses Juve’s Serie A match with Crotone yesterday and their Champions League opener against Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday, must test negative on Wednesday to play against Barcelona and old foe Lionel Messi a week later.
-AFP
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo crossed one billion followers across his social media accounts, aided by his newly-launched YouTube channel that has attracted more than 60 million subscribers in just over three weeks.
Ronaldo, who scored his 900th career goal last week to help Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in the Nations League, is the first human being to reach a billion followers on social media, global media reports said.
“We’ve made history, one billion followers! This is more than just a number, it’s a testament to our shared passion, drive, and love for the game and beyond,” Ronaldo posted on X.
“You’ve been with me every step of the way, through all the highs and the lows. This journey is our journey… thank you for believing in me, for your support, and for being part of my life.”
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid player reached the milestone with over 639 million followers on Instagram, 170 million on Facebook and 113 million on X.
The 39-year-old topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes this year, with off-field earnings of $60 million, boosted by his large social media following.
Ronaldo’s club Al-Nassr will host Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
-Reuters
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo launched his YouTube channel on Wednesday and hundreds of thousands of subscribers signed up within a couple of hours.
The 39-year-old five-times Ballon D’Or winner plays for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
“The wait is over. My @YouTube channel is finally here! SIUUUbscribe and join me on this new journey,” Ronaldo posted on his social media accounts.
A couple of hours after posting his first video, 1.69M subscribers had joined he channel.
Ronaldo has 112.5 million followers on the X platform, 170 million on Facebook and 636 million on Instagram.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United player is preparing for his team’s Saudi Pro League opener against Al-Raed on Thursday.
-Reuters
Inter Miami will be the last club Argentina captain Lionel Messi plays for, the 36-year-old forward said on Wednesday, adding he feels “a little bit scared” at the thought of the day he decides to retire.
Messi, a World Cup winner with Argentina in 2022, has a contract with the Major League Soccer side until 2025 following his arrival last summer after a spell with French champions Paris St Germain.
“Inter Miami will be my last club. I love playing football. I enjoy everything even more because I am aware that there is less and less left,” Messi told ESPN.
“I’m not ready to leave football. I’ve done this all my life, I love playing football, I enjoy training, the day-to-day, the matches… And yes, there’s always a little bit of fear that it’s all over.”
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is preparing with his national team to defend their Copa America title, with the tournament kicking off on June 20 in the United States.
Argentina will take on Canada in the opening match before facing Group A rivals Chile on June 25 and Peru four days later.
-Reuters
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