Soccer
Ronaldo involved in scandal in the middle of his recovery
By DPA
Apr 29, 2008, 16:36 GMT

Rio de Janeiro - This was the last thing Ronaldo needed in his attempt to recover from knee surgery: a scandal involving transvestites.

The incident - which according to the Milan striker himself could well mean 'the end' of his professional career as a footballer - is under investigation by police in Rio de Janeiro, although officers are contemplating the idea that the player may be subject to an extortion attempt.

The scandal stars transvestite Andre Albertino, who prefers to call himself 'Andreia Albertine' and who met Ronaldo Sunday night at a Rio nightclub.

The striker, 31, invited 'Andreia' to accompany him to an hourly hotel, and suggested that she invite two 'female friends.' From then on, stories diverge.

'Andreia' reportedly told police that the four consumed illegal drugs in the hotel room, that Ronaldo asked her two friends to go to the slum Cidade de Deus to buy more drugs and that, when her friends took longer than expected to return, he refused to pay for the date and even went as far as to threaten her.

The transvestite said Ronaldo gave his car documents to her friends, as a 'guarantee' that he would await their return at the hotel.

Ronaldo, in turn, was adamant in his denial of the accusations. In a statement, his team stressed that the striker 'never used drugs,' although they did not deny that the encounter happened.

The forward told police that he felt 'tense' after undergoing knee surgery in February, and that he sought to 'relax' through a night of sex with people that he did not know.

He further stressed that he ignored that his partners for the night were transvestites, and that when he found out he gave up on the plan and offered to pay each one of them some 600 dollars in compensation.

According to the player, 'Andreia' declined the offer and threatened to make a scandal if she did not get 30,000 dollars. And she took his car documents, Ronaldo said.

Police sources told the media that Ronaldo looked very worried when he was questioned.

'This could be the end of my career,' he reportedly said.

Police commissioner Carlos Alberto Nogueira launched two parallel investigations - one on the accusations of 'Andreia Albertini' and another over a suspected extortion against Ronaldo.

At least initially, Nogueira appeared more inclined to believe the striker's version because, he said, Ronaldo showed no signs of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and because the transvestite 'ran away' from the police station as soon as there was talk of a likely extortion.

'The drugs did not show up, and that is another indication that Ronaldo's version could be true,' the police official said.

Be that as it may, the scandal could have consequences, even for the striker's personal life. Since last year, he has been in a stable relationship with Maria Beatriz Antony, a beautiful 23-year-old engineer who until 2006 dated current Formula 1 driver Nelson Angelo 'Nelsinho' Piquet.

In fact, Bia Antony - as the woman is better known - shares a home with Ronaldo in Milan, and earlier this month she accompanied the striker to Rio, as he looked to pursue his recovery from surgery. It was not known how the scandal might affect the relationship.

Observers were also wondering whether the scandal might influence Ronaldo's decision as to his career.

On Sunday, shortly before he left for the nightclub where he met 'Andreia,' Ronaldo made ambiguous comments on the subject.

The striker said that his recovery 'is going very well' and noted that he might 'be able to play again within six or seven months.'

However, perhaps prophetically, he added that 'the moment to stop comes for everyone.'

'Mine will arrive soon,' Ronaldo said, even before the scandal.