Real’s lawsuit does not deter Portuguese newspaper

Portuguese newspaper defended its report on Real Madrid’s involvement in Cristiano Ronaldo's settlement with former model, saying they will keep investigating despite pressure from Spain.

Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha stood firmly by their report which said that Real Madrid had forced their former star forward to reach an out of court settlement with Kathryn Mayorga after an alleged sexual assault in Las Vegas in 2009.

Carlos Rodrigues, the paper's executive director, has said its staff will continue to cover the story and stand by what it has written.

"The CM headline news that also featured on CM TV was properly verified by the newsroom [editorial staff]," Rodrigues told CM TV.

"We naturally maintain, line by line, what was published. I personally find it very strange Real Madrid's reaction but we will respond to all the forums for which we are quoted. To our readers and viewers, I assure them that we will continue to investigate this case, independently of attempts to apply pressure whichever country it comes from."

Real Madrid said Thursday it had filed a lawsuit against a Portuguese newspaper that wrote the Spanish giants pushed Cristiano Ronaldo to hush up an alleged rape case.

Real said it had taken legal action against Correio da Manha and also released a statement.

"Real Madrid has absolutely no knowledge of any of the information that the newspaper published with regard to the player Cristiano Ronaldo, and therefore the club could not have taken action on a matter of which it had no knowledge," the club said in a statement.

Ronaldo, 33, who left Real Madrid over the summer to join Italian champions Juventus in deal worth 100 million euros, has been in turmoil since a case involving rape allegations against him, dating back to 2009, was reopened by Las Vegas police last week.