'He's very calm': Allegri says business as usual at Juventus despite Ronaldo rape investigation

Cristiano Ronaldo is focusing on football according to Juventus boss Max Allegri amid reports that he has been asked to provide a DNA sample to Las Vegas police who are investigating sexual assault allegations against the player.

The investigation stems from allegations made by Kathryn Mayorga, a former model, which state that the five-time Ballon d'Or winning forward raped her in the penthouse suite of a Las Vegas hotel in 2009, after which she says he paid her to maintain her silence about the incident.

"It's a private matter so I can only talk about soccer," Allegri said at a press conference ahead of Juventus' Italian cup match with Bologna this weekend.

Juventus' Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the Italian Serie A football match Juventus vs Sampdoria © Marco BERTORELLO / AFP

"So I'll respond to how I've seen Ronaldo. He's very calm. He has trained very well and rested like everyone else - which was needed after four intense months. Now he needs to prepare well for the second half and most important part of the season."

Peter S. Christiansen, Ronaldo's lawyer, downplayed the request for a DNA sample, saying that 'evidence collection' is standard practice for cases such as this.

"What occurred in Las Vegas in 2009 was consensual in nature so it is not surprising that DNA would be present, nor that the police would make this very standard request," he said on Thursday.

Las Vegas police issued the formal request to Italian authorities to obtain Ronaldo's DNA, with spokesperson Laura Meltzer adding that it came via a warrant. 

The Italian justice ministry, the US embassy in Rome and the Turin police made no comment on the matter, per Sports Illustrated.

Nonetheless, the issue doesn't seem to be affecting Ronaldo's preparation for the Bologna game or for the rest of the season according to Allegri.

"I see Cristiano very serene and calm and that's what I'm basing this on," he said. "For the rest of it, it's not my job to respond because they are private matters and it's only right that I don't respond."