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| Cristiano Ronaldo accepts Daily Telegraph libel payout | Cristiano Ronaldo accepts Daily Telegraph libel payout |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has accepted substantial undisclosed libel damages from the Daily Telegraph at London's High Court. | Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has accepted substantial undisclosed libel damages from the Daily Telegraph at London's High Court. |
| The newspaper had claimed in July 2008 the forward put an injured ankle at risk by visiting a Hollywood nightclub. | |
| Lawyer Allan Dunlavy said claims his client had put down crutches and taken to the dance floor with four models caused offence and embarrassment. | |
| The paper has accepted the allegations were false and apologised. | |
| The Daily Telegraph had agreed to pay Ronaldo substantial damages and cover his legal costs in full, Mr Dunlavy said. | |
| The story appeared alongside a photo of Ronaldo on crutches in Los Angeles, Mr Dunlavy said, where the footballer was nominated as best male international athlete at a sports ceremony. | |
| The newspaper reported that on arrival, Ronaldo "headed straight for" a trendy nightclub and danced with the models before being served "£10,000 worth of Cristal champagne". | |
| It had suggested the events would dismay his then manager at Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson. | |
| "These events did not happen and the claimant did not behave unprofessionally," said Mr Dunlavy, who said Sir Alex and the club's medical staff were fully aware that the Portugal international was in Los Angeles on holiday. | |
| "While he [Ronaldo] did attend the nightclub in question, he did not drink any alcohol at all whilst there, nor at any time whilst in Los Angeles. He does not, as a rule, drink alcohol because he takes his health, fitness and recovery from injury very seriously." | |
| Mr Dunlavy added that his client had not put down his crutches but had occupied a private corner of the club with friends, while drinking "non-alcoholic energy drinks". | |
| The newspaper's solicitor, Helen Morris, said it accepted the allegations were false and ought never to have been published. | |
| "It is therefore happy to set the record straight and to apologise to the claimant." | |
| It is not the first time Ronaldo has successfully pursued a libel case. | |
| In 2008 he accepted undisclosed damages from the Sun, which had claimed he had been fined £8,000 for breaking United's club rules by using a mobile phone during training. On that occasion, he donated the damages to a charity on his home island of Madeira. |