Ronaldo again strongly denies rape allegations

Cristiano Ronaldo has "firmly" denied raping a woman in a US hotel room almost a decade ago.

The 33 year old Juventus forward said he welcomed "any and all investigations" as he had a "clear" conscience over the allegation he attacked Kathryn Mayorga in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009.

He spoke out ahead of her lawyers giving a press conference on Wednesday.

He had previously said the allegation, first reported in German magazine Der Spiegel, was "fake news".

On Wednesday, he issued a statement through his Twitter account:

"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."