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Ronaldo's bad tackle

Brazilian football star Ronaldo has been caught up in a sex scandal with three cross-dressing prostitutes.

Having dropped off his girlfriend at her house in Rio de Janeiro, the 2002 World Cup winner picked up three prostitutes.

When they all booked into a motel, the AC Milan striker discovered that the prostitutes were in fact men.

According to Rio police, he alleges that the transvestites then tried to extort money from him.

One of the prostitutes, Andreia Albertine - otherwise known as Andre Luiz Ribeiro Albertino - told the local press that Ronaldo had threatened to hit him, on discovering that he was a transvestite.

Rio police superintendent Carlos Augusto Nogueira said that Ronaldo "reported that Andreia had taken his car documents and demanded $30,000".

He added: "Ronaldo admits the facts. He said he just wanted to amuse himself, that's not a crime. To pay to have sexual relations isn't illegal. There's a strong chance that Ronaldo has been the victim of extortion."

When the footballer refused to pay the prostitute, the latter claimed that Ronaldo had taken drugs,

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Under Brazilian law, while pimping sex workers and running establishments where sex is sold are illegal, prostitution itself is not.

In a statement Ronaldo is reported to have denied ever using drugs, and reiterated that he was a victim of extortion.

The three-time FIFA world footballer of the year is in Brazil recovering from knee surgery. He told police he was having some psychological problems linked to his injury.