After American model Kathryn Mayorga claimed Ronaldo allegedly raped her in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009, many fans began to distance themselves from Ronaldo, but not Madeira's locals.
Mayorga, who is now 34, alleges that Ronaldo agreed to pay her £287,000 to stop her pursuing criminal charges – which could have seen him jailed for life – and gagged her from going public.
Hugo Aveiro, who grew up with the now Juventus star, their two sisters and parents in a tiny home, told The Times: “My brother is a hero in Madeira. He has a big impact here because he’s done a lot for the island.
“People here are defensive of him because everyone knows him. The local news is only saying good things and the people will stand behind him. He is an icon in Madeira.”
Some Brits travelling to the Portuguese holiday island know better than to mention the rape allegations among locals – others, however, may have to learn the hard way.
Realising that insulting Ronaldo in Madeira is a no-go, British tourists are “being careful not to mention it”.
Sarah Beachill, from Barnsley told The Times: “They are completely obsessed with him here.
“We went on a 4×4 tour into the mountains and even that was about where he had lived; where he first kicked a ball.”
Ronaldo’s fans are nothing short of supportive, as they are backing him regardless of what allegations are being thrown his way.
Model ex Nereida Gallardo has since spoken out, saying she was so sure of his innocence that she would testify for him in court.
The 35-year-old told The Mirror: "Cristiano treated me well while I was with him.
"He was never ever aggressive towards me – not even near. I can’t see him forcing or holding down someone. He is not an aggressive guy in bed."
A statement from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said: “The case has been reopened and our detectives are following up on information being provided by the victim.
“At the time the report was taken, the victim did not provide detectives with the location of the incident or suspect description. A medical exam was conducted.”
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