Nike says it is "deeply concerned" by the rape allegation facing the star soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo. EA Sports has expressed similar alarm over the accusations, but Ronaldo — who denies rape — has received support from his club, Juventus FC, and his national soccer federation. Ronaldo is included on the Juventus squad for the coming Serie A match against Udinese, but it is unclear whether he will play. Nike, the massive sports retail company that has a $1 billion agreement with Cristiano Ronaldo, says it is "deeply concerned" by the rape allegation that has been made against him. Kathryn Mayorga, a 34-year-old American, accused Ronaldo of raping her without a condom in Las Vegas in 2009, according to a report in the German publication Der Spiegel last week. Ronaldo "firmly" denied the allegation on Twitter and said he refused "to feed the media spectacle created by people seeking to promote themselves at my expense." The story "disheartened" Save the Children, a charity Ronaldo works closely with — and now more high-profile partners have issued statements to say they are alarmed by the news. Nike, whose relationship with Ronaldo began in 2003, said it was "deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations and will continue to closely monitor the situation," according to the BBC. EA Sports, the video game publisher behind the wildly popular "FIFA" soccer series, has had Ronaldo on the cover of many of its editions. "We have seen the concerning report that details allegations against Cristiano Ronaldo," EA Sports told the Associated Press, according to the BBC. "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 company said. The allegation has polarized those close to Ronaldo, as the forward's club, Juventus FC, issued a statement via Twitter confirming its support. "Ronaldo has shown in recent months his great professionalism and dedication, which is appreciated by everyone at Juventus," the statement said. "The events allegedly dating back to almost 10 years ago do not change this opinion, which is shared by everyone who has come into contact with this great champion." The Juventus statement follows support from Ronaldo's national team. In a statement to the Portuguese news agency Lusa, which was forwarded to Business Insider and translated from Portuguese, Fernando Gomes, the president of the Portugal Football Federation said: "In my name and in the name of the Portuguese Football Federation, I express total solidarity with Cristiano Ronaldo, in a circumstance where his good name and reputation are at risk. "I believe in the statements he issued yesterday, not only because I defend innocence as a basic principle of the rule of law, but also because I have known Ronaldo for many years and I am a witness to his good character." Though Ronaldo has been excluded from Portugal's latest squad, he is on Juventus' roster for the club's next Serie A game, scheduled for Saturday. It remains to be seen whether he will play. —Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 5, 2018<doc-sep>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.<doc-sep>(CNN) Amid rape allegations and with growing unease among his sponsors, Cristiano Ronaldo appeared unaffected as he starred for his club Juventus in its latest win. He scored the second goal in Juve's 2-0 win at Udinese, the 10th win in a row in all competitions since the start of the season for the Serie A giant. It was Ronaldo's fourth goal for his new club since his move from Real Madrid in the summer, and he was afforded a rapturous reception by Juve fans, who chanted "Cristiano, Cristiano," as he left the dressing room following Saturday's evening's game. It was his first match since the allegations became public. "Way to go, altogether," he later tweeted on his own personal account, retweeted by the Juventus official account. Meanwhile, two leading sponsors of the 33-year-old are "monitoring the situation" as shares in Juventus -- which have risen more than 100% in the last six months, owing largely to the record signing of Ronaldo in July -- fell nearly 10% on Friday after the club issued a statement of support for the player. Read More<doc-sep>
Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after winning the UEFA Champions League final football match between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine on May 26, 2018. Sportswear maker Nike and video game maker Electronic Arts said on Thursday they were concerned about rape allegations against Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the world's best soccer players. The 33-year-old athlete on Tuesday denied rape allegations leveled against him by a woman who sued him in court in Nevada. "We are deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations and will continue to closely monitor the situation," Nike said in a statement to Reuters. Nike has worked with Ronaldo since 2003 and in 2016 announced a lifetime deal with him worth as much as $1 billion, according to Forbes magazine. Electronic Arts has featured Ronaldo on the cover of its EA Sports' FIFA series for two years. "We have seen the concerning report that details allegations against Cristiano Ronaldo," an EA spokesperson said in an email to Reuters. "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 company said. Kathryn Mayorga sued Ronaldo in a district court in Clark County, Nevada, alleging he raped her in 2009 in a Las Vegas hotel penthouse suite. The player has said his conscience was clear and that he would await the results of any investigation. "I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in," the world-famous athlete wrote in a tweet to his 75 million followers. Ronaldo transferred from soccer team Real Madrid to Italian champions Juventus this summer for 100 million euros. Juventus broke their silence on the situation Wednesday afternoon on Twitter, fully backing Ronaldo. "Cristiano Ronaldo has shown in recent months his great professionalism and dedication, which is appreciated by everyone at Juventus," the team tweeted. "The events allegedly dating back to almost 10 years ago do not change this opinion, which is shared by anyone who has come into contact with this great champion," Juventus said.