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Lisbon – Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo is at the centre of a sordid battle between sorcerers with one trying to ruin him on behalf of a spurned lover and another to save him, reports said Wednesday.
"A rich foreign woman who was betrayed" has paid a Spaniard nicknamed Pepe to "end Ronaldo’s career," Correio da Manha daily said.
Ronaldo, who is often photographed with a beautiful young woman on his arm, is currently carrying an ankle injury, and the sorcerer Pepe is claiming credit for it.
Pepe was pictured holding a black wax doll and a photo of the Real Madrid forward with his name scrawled across it.
The sorcerer has refused to identify the scorned woman he claims has already paid him EUR 15,000, Correio da Manha said.
"She paid me to end Cristiano Ronaldo’s career and I’m doing that," Pepe was quoted as saying.
"It’s a job, I have nothing against him personally, but I’ll see it through," he added.
The daily 24 Horas, which carried the same story, said another "fetisher" called Fernando Nogueira, known as the "sorcerer Fafe" was contacted on Tuesday by "someone very close" to Ronaldo "to counter the black magic of this so-called Spanish sorcerer".
Fafe, while casting doubt on the powers of his rival, told the paper he had "burnt candles next to a photo of Ronaldo to put an end to what is being done, if it is true."
The player picked up the injury in Real’s 3-0 victory over Marseille in the Champions League Monday.
Ronaldo believes he will recover from an ankle injury in time for Portugal’s World Cup qualifier against Hungary this weekend.
He was due to undergo tests either Wednesday or Thursday, according to the team doctor.
Coach Carlos Queiroz expressed confidence on Tuesday that Ronaldo would be fit for the key World Cup qualifiers against Hungary and Malta on 10 and 14 October respectively.
Portugal, who are third in Group One with 13 points, need to win both matches and for second-placed Sweden to slip up in Denmark, to book their ticket to the finals in South Africa next year.
AFP / Expatica